Air Taxi vs. Air Limo

In the world of aviation there are really two main sides of the same industry there is the airliner side and the corporate side. The airliner side is the one that everybody knows about. Here you have your Delta’s, American Airlines, your United Airlines, etc… however there is the side not many know about. That is the corporate side of aviation. As a corporate pilot you will fly some of the fastest jets in the world on top of being the fastest they are also the most luxurious. As a pilot your work will be based on when your employer wants to fly and so your work schedule is always up in the air no pun intended. However as a corporate pilot you can also make more money than an airliner pilot if that is the most important thing to you. It can also be said that corporate air carriers are cheaper than airliners and for the amount of service you get this is true it is still much more than a ticket in coach.

I feel that corporate aviation departments can save a company money because they aren't as limited as companies like the airlines when it comes to things like routes, and schedules.  As an airliner you are bound by specific routes that your aircraft must fly as a corporate pilot you are a little more free to choose your routes and make them more direct which could save a company both time and money. Also as an airline you are bound by a schedule for flights the corporate airlines are more flexible since they don’t have set schedules therefore you don’t have to have a full set of employees, therefore you don’t need to continuously pay for employees.

If I were to begin a career in the corporate world I would obviously start small and I would want to work at Corporate Eagle. Corporate Eagle is based out of the Pontiac Michigan airport. Corporate Eagle is a small company but they have some very nice planes such as the King Air, the Hawker 800 XP, and a Falcon 2000. However currently they are not hiring I have heard that they want pilots with at least 1,200 hours of flight time however they are willing to negotiate if you graduated from a part 141 school.

For more information about Corporate Eagle please visit

http://www.corporateeagle.com/

The Future of Flight

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently trying to implement their new Next Generation of Air Traffic Control known better as NextGen. NextGen is next form of ATC currently we use equipment like ground based radar in order to track aircraft however this is causing problems. There are still locations around the country and even the world where radar coverage is extremely low even non existent. NextGen uses satellite based coverage called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B).

ADS-B is a satellite based surveillance system that can track aircraft locations and altitudes. This will allow for the planes to be located more easily. This has allowed for more accurate and more direct flight then we would normally have, 

as seen on this page http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/snapshots/stories/?slide=31

While this equipment is a wonderful advance in technology it is having its drawbacks first is the expense and second it is not going to be fully operational until 2025. This is due to poor planning on behalf of the government. It must also be spread to all air carriers and this takes some time.

For commercial airliners I think this is a good idea because it will allow for the planes to see each other a little better. However commercial airliners are already pretty safe, I think NextGen equipment would be best served in the General Aviation world. Presently aircraft are only required to have transponders which can show a planes’ location in certain areas if you go outside of those areas then they are not required. This has led to some accidents with NextGen equipped planes you will be able to see their location and altitude and know if you will have an issue I think that this would be best utilized at non towered airports or in places like Alaska where there are a lot of planes in the air.

Now while I believe that the NextGen equipment is great it does have one major drawback, it is extremely expensive. While I would like to see this used in the GA world I can understand why people don’t want it. The GA world is filled with people like you and me who don’t make a whole lot of money, and while they make enough to say they own an airplane many struggle just to keep the plane airworthy, therefore they cannot afford the cost of NextGen equipment such as ADS-B.

I feel that the airlines should have to pay a majority of the cost for they would be the primary users of the equipment but in the case of ATC I think it is acceptable to use some of the money obtained from taxes. While I like everyone hate paying taxes I think for the flying public it would be somewhat acceptable due to an increase in safety and a decrease in delays.

 While I think NextGen equipment while obviously expensive I whole heartedly support the idea. It will make flying a lot safer because it will tell ATC when planes are near each other it will also allow for ATC to find airplanes quicker. On top of that it will allow other pilots to see each other so, if for some reason ATC is not paying attention or hasn’t noticed that two planes are near each other the pilots themselves can see each other and correct the issue. It will also allow for more precise location of planes and storms so that you don’t have to divert around a storm as far as you normally would.

For more information about ADS-B and NextGen check out these sites.

http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/

http://www.natca.org/legislative_current_issues.aspx?zone=Legislative-Current%20Issues&pID=200

Pilots and Professionals

In the course of my career I would like to end up as a captain for Delta Airlines. I have flown with Delta since I was a kid and I have always had a good experience flying with them even now as a student pilot I hear about the safety, professionalism, and service offered by Delta. As a captain with Delta I would be responsible for the safety of the plane and the passengers behind me. I would also be I would be required to go through annual flight revues in order to remain current and prove that I am a safe pilot. I would be required to make sure that the plane arrives in a safe and on time manner.

Of course there are always risks with the aviation industry.  There are always the risks of mechanical failure, bad weather, an unruly passenger, and a multitude of other concerns. As the pilot in command if there was an issue with the flight I would be liable for the consequences while this might not mean a lawsuit it could mean my job. One way to mitigate these issues is to participate in programs like the FAA WINGS program which focuses on safety. I can go to safety seminars to learn of new techniques to have a safe flight. And one of the simplest things to do is to be a professional; a professional person wouldn't go outside of the rules just to make money. But what is a professional.

I define professionalism as not only looking the part but by acting the part. For example in the case of pilots you may have a captain who shows up to the gate in a tee shirt, shorts, flip flops, and drunk this is obviously unprofessional. Then again you may have a pilot dressed in a nice suit however when he is on the radio or talking to somebody he is rude or swears a lot, this too is unprofessional. My idea of a professional is someone who dresses professional acts professional and is still professional even in a bad situation. Professional people should be serious I am not saying that they shouldn't have fun sometimes but they need to know when it is right time unlike this incident in Atlanta Georgia,
http://www.flyingmag.com/news/audio-atc-joke-causes-boeing-777-abort-landing. Also if a pilot is asked to fly a plane and they know they are unfit to fly that plane, or if they find that the aircraft is unsafe they should have the professional ability to say I cannot do this. For example take the Colgan Air disaster of 2009 both the pilot and co-pilot were both tired from having little to no sleep the night before the flight. The co-pilot was even recorded saying that she was sick and wondered if she should call in sick. Management should know when their pilots are not ready for a flight and they should promote safety not cheaper flights. On top of that some small carriers like Colgan Air were required to add tasks to their company to meet certain requirements such as more maintenance, more check pilots, updated safety inspection, and other items which the company neglected in order to save and make money.

Personally as a pilot I would continue to participate in the FAA WINGS program by attending seminars both in person and online. I feel that by participating in programs like this and continuing to fly outside of the airlines I will be able to stay safe and know the things that are going on around me.

Introducing Me

Hello,

My name is Ryan Hummel and this is my first blog. I am an aviation student at Eastern Michigan University. I originally began my college career as a mechanical engineer and after one year I switched majors to Aviation flight technology and I am glad that I made the switch. I Love building models, especially airplanes, and I enjoy playing video games. I like playing board games as well, my favorite board game is called Heroclix. I am also a diehard Trekkie. I love to read almost everything and learn about history especially war history.

I enjoy all things aviation. I am currently working on my private pilot and dispatch certification. I am also a departmental honors student and I am working on my undergraduate thesis.  I plan to begin working on my air frame and power plant certification at the Michigan Institute of Aviation Technology in the summer of 2015. While I have no real plans for the future I do know that I want to work in the aviation industry.

Currently, I am employed by Eastern Michigan University at the Eastern Eateries as a cook and server. However I have previously worked as a theater technician at my old high school Waterford Kettering, this job was a bit more challenging with its 40 hour a weekend time frame but it was a lot more fun to work at. I look forward to writing in this blog and hopefully you will enjoy reading it. I hope I will not bore you too much and I cannot wait to read your comments.

Thanks,

Ryan