Professionalism in the Aviation Industry

Today’s post will discuss the Regional Airlines industry, and also touch upon the concept of “Professionalism”.

Current State of the Regional Industry:

One of the major topics surrounding the aviation industry (regional industry in particular) is the reported “pilot shortage”. There are two viewpoints concerning this problem. One claims that there is no pilot shortage, and the fault lies with the low expected salaries of starting regional First Officers. The other side states there is indeed a pilot shortage, and places the blame on the FAA training and retirement regulations. So who’s right? Well, if you ask me, I’d say both. Both of these viewpoints are just two sides to a single coin – money.

The first argument believes that there is no shortage. ALPA President Capt. Canoll stated, “We have plenty of pilots with certificates who are available to fly. The problem is they don't want the jobs” (“Keeping the Pilot Profession Strong,” 2016). So, the question must be asked, why don’t they want the jobs? Because they feel the pay does not justify the cost spent in obtaining their training. A comparison of flight training schools in January 2015, listed the average cost of obtaining an aviation degree between $125,000.00 and $150,000.00 (“Flight Training Schools,” n.d.). After paying for this training (probably through student loans), it makes sense that the pilot would seek employment in a position that wouldn’t leave him eating bread crumbs for the next few years. It should be noted that efforts have been made by regionals to raise starting pay, with PSA and Envoy just recently increasing to $38.50 per hour and $37.90 per hour respectively (Shine, 2016).

The Seconds argument blames the FAA requirements. Without going into extensive detail, the regulations raised the hours required to obtain an ATP certificate. Paired with the required retirement age of 65, airlines are losing pilots, both new and old. The FAA regulations not only increased the time required to finish their training, but as a byproduct, increased the cost as well. Now, many pilots will build hours as a flight instructor, which is technically a paid position; however, as many of these instructors will tell you, these positions usually have low pay. This means that the pilot is required to spend probably about a year at a low income job, before being able to move to the regionals – thus losing potential gain/income. This again ties into the already mentioned regional starting pay. After spending the aforementioned degree costs, and spending this extra time and cost building hours, it can be seen why regional starting pay would seem less than appealing.

Hopefully now you can see why I feel that both of these problems are to blame.

How do these Regulations Affect the Regionals' “Hiring Pool”?

We already discussed this to some degree in the first question. The aviation industry seems to be suffering due to a lack of interest in aviation as a career. As Greg Muccio, a senior manager at Southwest Airlines Co. (a major airline, but bear with me), stated “The biggest problem is a general lack of interest in folks pursuing this as a career anymore. That's what puts us in the most jeopardy" (Schlangenstein & Sasso, 2016); and the FAA regulations are certainly not assisting in renewing interest in the aviation field. Most of the airline pilots currently come from a civilian background (Cox, 2013), meaning that most will be paying for their own training. As we already discussed, the high initial cost, combined with the low starting pay can serve as a deterrent to aspiring pilots.

Although, as we also already discussed, in order to attract pilots, regional airlines are raising the starting pay for First Officers, a move which I think can have a large effect on renewing interest in the field.

Who Represents the Management Side of the Industry?

Similar to how the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) represents the pilots of the airline industry, the Regional Airline Association (RAA) represents the interests of U.S. Regional Airlines. In their own words, the RAA “provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable, and robust regional airline industry” (“Regional Airline Association,” n.d.). The RAA has over 20 members, including Endeavor Air, ExpressJet Airlines, and Envoy.

There are also other organizations for airport executives, such as the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) which “is the world's largest professional organization for airport executives, representing thousands of airport management personnel at public-use commercial and general aviation airports” (“About AAAE”, n.d.)

Manufacturers are also represented by organizations like the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). The AIA “is the premier trade association representing major aerospace and defense manufacturers and suppliers in the United States”, with its members consisting of “more than 300 major aerospace and defense companies and their suppliers” (“About AIA”, n.d.).

Additional Questions from the “Flying Cheap” Documentary:

            1) What is professionalism?

I would say professionalism is – Having the knowledge and skill required to perform a particular task well. 

 2)  How was a lack of professionalism demonstrated?

When Colgan Air, Inc. started flying the Q400, they were short on Check Airmen. Corey Heiser (former pilot for Colgan Air, Inc.) explained that he was made a Check Airmen by the company; however, he was not qualified for the position. As he stated, “I’m not type rated in the aircraft…I’d never flown the aircraft” (Young, 2010).

Ben Coats, another pilot at Colgan Air, Inc, recalled a time in which he, as a First Officer, calculated the weight and balance for a flight and found the plane to be too heavy. Coats reported the problem to his Captain. The Captain suggested counting three of the adults as children. When Coats refused, the Captain took the weight manifest and altered the math, so they would be within limits.

  

      3)  Did the first year pilot pay structure of a regional airline contribute to the lack of

          professionalism portrayed in the documentary?

I would say yes, it contributed. The First Officer Rebecca Shaw on Flight 3407 would be an example. Shaw is reported as making less than $16,000 in her first year at Colgan. Before the flight, she commuted from her home in Seattle, and was reported as being sick; however, she was concerned with the cost of calling in sick, stating “If I call in sick, now I’ve got to put myself in a hotel until I feel better” (Young, 2010).

  

     4)  What are some personal ways I can maintain a level of professionalism once employed?

One very important thing to remember to help maintain a proper level of professionalism is the responsibility you have as the pilot regarding the lives of your passengers. If you remind yourself that you, along with your co-pilot, are directly responsible for the lives of possibly a few hundred people, it requires you to hold yourself to a higher standard

Another method I’ve heard, is to keep a flight journal. In it, you can write what you did right during the flight, and what you did wrong. Then, you work to correct the problems. In essence, it is forcing you to acknowledge any bad habits you may be developing, and allow you to counter them.

References:

About AAAE. (n.d.). Retrieved from
            http://www.aaae.org/aaae/AAAEMBR/About_AAAE/AAAEMemberResponsive/About_
            AAAE/About_AAAE.aspx?hkey=17fa23bc-bfe6-4589-9c8b-c362c1e7c303

About AIA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aia-aerospace.org/about-aia/

Cox, J. (2013, March 18). Ask the Captain: Are most airline pilots from the military? Retrieved

from http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2013/03/18/ask-the-captain-are-most-airline-pilots-from-the-military/1994161/

Flight Training Schools Comparison. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fapa.aero/aviationcolleges.asp

Keeping the Pilot Profession Strong. (2016, March 18). Retrieved from

            http://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/Blog/2016/03/18/keeping-the-pilot-profession-

strong?txtSearch=pilot pay shortage

Regional Airline Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.raa.org/

Schlangenstein, M., & Sasso, M. (2016, June 29). Up in the air: Shortage of pilots on horizon has
            airlines concerned. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/business/business/2016/06

            /29/air-shortage-pilots-horizon-airlines-concerned

Shine, C. (2016, September 25). American Airlines raises pay for regional pilots. Retrieved from
            https://www.pilotcareercentre.com/Aviation-Pilot-Recruitment-News-
            Item/7122/American Airlines raises pay for regional pilots

Young, R. (Director). (2010). Flying Cheap [Motion picture on DVD]. United States.

What’s Next for ATC Privatization?

In today’s topic, we’ll briefly discuss a couple of the features to expect when the NextGen system (eventually) arrives, and examine some of the subjects surrounding ATC Privatization.

What is NextGen?

NextGen (Next Generation Air Transportation System) is the FAA’s answer to the outdated, ground based radar system being used by ATC today. NextGen replaces this dated system with a modernized satellite-based system. Among its many “features”, NextGen implements improvements such as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast), NVS (NAS Voice System), and Data Comm.

ADS-B is probably the most discussed topic regarding NextGen, and is the new system responsible for providing aircraft information to ATC. Sarina Houston explains:

ADS-B is a more accurate and reliable system than the RADAR system in place currently. ADS-B will broadcast aircraft information such as speed, location and route to air traffic controllers and other participating aircraft through the use of satellite radio signals and ground stations (2016)

NVS, as the name suggests, is an improvement to the communications infrastructure to “better handle the modern communications of the air traffic system” (Houston, 2016). Sounds great, but what does it do? The FAA explain:

Current point-to-point voice-switching technology enables controllers to speak to aircraft within range of their nearby radio site. By contrast, NVS works over a secure FAA digital network and is not limited by geography. With the flip of a switch, NVS will enable voice traffic to move from one location to another anywhere in the country. The FAA will have the flexibility to shift workload among multiple air traffic control facilities, if needed. (“NextGen - NAS Voice System”, 2016)

Data Comm is another exciting feature, as it allows pilots to receive “textual clearances, approach procedures and instructions from controllers” in a digital format (Houston, 2016). This feature is particularly interesting to me as it would save me the pain of having to figure out how to spell some odd waypoint on my IFR clearance.

General Aviation’s Stance on Privatization:

GA aviators have generally been opposed to ATC privatization. Part of this opposition probably stems from the fact that many GA pilots (like myself), only use ATC occasionally, and are satisfied with how things are now (why pay for something you’ve already been getting for “free”). Aviation organizations such as EAA and AOPA also have concerns regarding ATC privatization.

The EAA urged its members to oppose the act, with the CEO/Chairman stating “This [privatization] will hurt the safest and most complex aviation system in the world” (ATC Privatization, 2016). The 

EAA further claimed that such an act would “likely increase in costs”, offer “few promised savings or efficiency improvements”, and have “airline dominance of ATC governance” (ATC Privatization, 2016).

AOPA also opposed the user fees associated with the act. The AOPA President Mark Baker stated, “AOPA simply won’t accept user fees in any form on any segment of general aviation. And while there are some very positive provisions for GA in this proposal, user fees are a nonstarter for us” (Tennyson, 2016).

ATC Privatization in Other Countries:

ATC is already privately run in Canada, and has been since 1996 by the company Nav Canada. Nav Canada originally “purchased the country’s civil air navigation system from the federal government for CA$1.5 billion”, and has since invested an additional CA$2 billion in infrastructure (Owram, 2016). The company is operated as a non-profit organization, and is “the world’s second-largest ANSP by traffic volume” (“Meet Nav Canada”, n.d.). The company is funded by customer fees, with charges being “based on aircraft weight and distance flown” (Owram, 2016). The Canada system has received attention as being a possible model for the United States to follow; however, not everyone has praised it. For example, Delta Air Lines, Inc. Senior Vice-President of flight operations, Captain Steve Dickson stated,

We learned that Nav Canada’s privatization model may work well for Canadian airspace, which is about one-tenth the scale and complexity of U.S. airspace… But the lack of any solid data from Nav Canada that would have supported a move to privatization in the U.S. was startling (Owram, 2016)

Where it Stands Now:

Converting our ATC system into a privatized one first requires the bill to be passed by Congress. In the event that the bill is passed, control of the system would then be transferred to a private company (similar to Nav Canada). Though, that won’t be happening any time this year, as the latest FAA Reauthorization bill (passed in July with a Senate vote of 89-4) “authorized FAA programs at current funding levels through September 2017” (Carey and Pasztor, 2016). However, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation James Burnley stated that “he sees the issue moving forward when Congress debates authorization again next year as the current bill runs the course of its 14 month extension” (Petrie, 2016). So it’s clear to see that although delayed, this topic of privatization is far from over.

So, Should ATC be Privatized?

In regards to efficiency, it would seem that privatizing ATC would be a beneficial move, and would remove some of the limitations which come with being a government operated system – hopefully allowing it to more quickly implement improvements such as NextGen. That being said, I do not fancy the idea of paying a service charge every time I use ATC. My interaction with ATC is fairly limited (flight following, and the occasional IFR flight); however, if a fee was associated with this use, I feel I would avoid interaction with ATC whenever possible – thereby defeating the point of its existence.

References:

ATC Privatization Brings Few Savings, Threatens General Aviation Services. (2016, February
            18). Retrieved from https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/news/02-
            18-2016-atc-privatization-brings-few-savings-threatens-general-aviation-services

Carey, S., & Pasztor, A. (2016, July 13). Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill. Retrieved
            from http://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-passes-faa-reauthorization-bill-1468437144

Houston, S. (2016, August 14). NextGen in a Nutshell: The Next Generation Air Traffic System.
            Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/nextgen-in-a-nutshell-282561

Meet NAV CANADA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/about-us/Pages/who-
            we-are.aspx

NextGen - NAS Voice System. (2016, March 29). Retrieved from
            https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/update/progress_and_plans/nas_voice_system/

Owram, K. (2016, February 1). U.S. looks to Canadian model as it debates air-traffic-control
            privatization. Retrieved from http://business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/u-s-
            looks-to-canadian-model-as-it-debates-air-traffic-control-privatization

Petrie, J. (2016, July 14). ATC Privatization Fight Far From Over | AviationPros.com. Retrieved
            from http://www.aviationpros.com/blog/12231969/atc-privatization-fight-far-from-over

Tennyson, E. A. (2016, February 11). AOPA opposes user fees as reauthorization moves to full
            House. Retrieved from https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-
            news/2016/february/11/aopa-opposes-user-fees-as-reauthorization-moves-forward