Who would I work for if given the choice?

There is an emerging industry out there right now, and it's in UAV's.  the UAV is becoming a very prominent reality in the world of aviation.  It's military applications are already applauded by most people, offering safety at little cost to manpower.  Soon we may see the advent of UAV's into the civilian world also.

A google search will actually bring up a few hits, but a more detailed look into a site like Indeed will actually bring up a good amount of jobs for UAV's.  A friend sent me a link to a company called General Atomics Aeronautical, and a look under jobs for pilots brings up several UAV jobs. 


The requirements for just the entry level UAV pilot are rather light really:  Must possess: (1) FAA Commercial Certificate with a current instrument rating and ability to maintain instrument currency; (2) three hundred (300) hours as PIC; (3) ability to obtain interim DOD secret clearance as well as customer specific clearance(s); (4) ability to travel on CONUS and ONCONUS six to eight months of the year on a rotating schedule; (5) good analytical, interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills to accurately interface with all levels of employees and military and civilian customers, contractors and aircrew; and (6) basic knowledge of computer operations and applications. The ability to work both independently and in a team environment is essential as is the ability to work extended hours and travel as required. 

Truthfully, these requirements are not that bad at all, and any graduate from a flight program would have close to those requirements.

Oh,and I hear the pay is really good, to boot.

Update: TSA, real classy.

A few weeks ago, I made it rather apparent my feelings on the TSA. As a recap, I find them to be a bloated agency whose original intentions may have been noble, but are now bogged down by bureaucracy and unionizing.  With the number of employees they have, they are likely to have some bad apples, but when it comes to the type of job they are doing, there should be no room for error or mistakes, especially with their own employees.

In late October, a news article ran in the New York Daily News about a TSA agent who opened checked baggage and found a 'sex toy'.  Well, this agent thought it would be amusing to leave the required tag with a note that said 'Get your freak on girl'.  Though amusing, it was entirely inappropriate.  These individuals are supposed to uphold the highest professionalism.  They are tasked with 'touching our bodies' in the event of a pat-down, and searching through items that are private in nature.  In my opinion, it is entirely uncalled for.  Luckily, the TSA is in the process of terminating the individual in question.  I've no issue with this.  This is a person that should have never been given a position within the TSA.

My overall issue with this is that, once again, this is not a situation that should have even been given a chance to happen.  Perhaps a more thorough evaluation of an individual should happen before they are given a final go ahead to accept employment into the TSA.  It seems like anyone can get a job with the TSA.  In the same article, it also gives a snippet about two former TSA agents that pled guilty to conspiring to steal $40,000 from a cash bag on an American Airlines flight at Kennedy Airport.  This makes me wonder how many of these incidents happen that we don't know about, and are gotten away with.  How many times in the last ten years have you lost your luggage on a flight?  Kind of makes you wonder now, doesn't it?  I think I'll just carry on my luggage for now on.

Personnel Profile: Richard Branson

Richard Branson is, by almost all accounts, a venture capitalist.  He has made his fortune buying, selling, and creating businesses.  It likely wouldn't come as a shock that his estimated worth is roughly $4.2 billion.  His brand name, Virgin Group Limited, is a conglomerate of over 400 different companies, utilizing the travel, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.  The various companies involve products from soda to airlines, and then some.  It's truly awe inspiring to see his brilliance at work, and the passion he has for doing it.

In 1984, Brandon launched Virgin Atlantic Airways, and now offers flight between England, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.  Ironically, their services do not offer domestic flights, but instead are strictly international flights.  A quick lookup on a flight from New York to London also shows some pretty amazing airfares, as low as $450.00.  For a round-trip fare to London and back, that's certainly not bad.  He has been able to capitalize on a need to fly overseas at a reasonable rate.

In 2004, he formed Virgin Galactic, a new space tourism company.  He is wanting to capitalize on what is a fledgling industry at this point.  However, as luck would have it, there is apparently strong interest.  Even at $200,000 per ticket, over 430 individuals have purchased these tickets, wanting to be one of the first to go into space as a typical civilian.  Branson has also decided to make Spaceport America home to his vision, building the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space facility and hanger on site.  Branson's dedication to this new venture is apparent, working tirelessly for years on the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles.  SpaceShipTwo is starting to see trial runs now, with a few mishaps, but each mishap being overcome.  As well, as of October 27th, 2011, Virgin Galactic has now chosen its first astronaut pilot, former USAF test pilot Keith Colmer.  Colmer joins a community dedicated to finding new ways to bring humans into space, and I'm sure he is thrilled.

Richard Branson is the definition of entrepreneur, and apparently has a fondness for the world of aviation.  He has a passion and dedication for trying to find better technologies for mankind.  It is obvious he has a true love for aviation, and respects what it can do for all of us.

Enter Chinese Aviation

China's aviation industry is one of curiosity.  In recent years, they have made strides to become more open, and it would appear they are gearing up to open their low altitude airspace completely to more private based aviation, according to this report.  This is a far cry from it's current status, which is pretty much restricted airspace over most of China.

China's airspace is currently controlled by the Central Military Commission, which manages Chinese airspace under a military doctrine.  The result is very few, if any, locations for general aviation, and general aviation flights are a rarity as it is.   With any luck, by opening their airspace to more private based aviation, general aviation will begin to become commonplace as it is here in the U.S.

Currently, domestic operations are primarily conducted by state operated air carrier Commercial Aircraft Corporate of China, or Comac, with the some other operations intermixed by companies like Parc Aviation, Contractair, and Sigma Aviation Services.  Internationally, flights are conducted by familiar companies such as Delta, British Airways, American Airways and such.  Eventually, China may open up their domestic commercial industry to the private sector, and that's certainly a promising idea with the opening of their airspace in 2015.

On the upside, the need for pilots in China continues to rise.  A quick Google search brings up this website and lists a number of jobs based in China.  If China is a place that a pilot would want to work, the industry is getting ready to expand drastically over there, and the prospects look very good.

Job Info: Corporate Pilot

Company: NetJets

What are they: NetJets is a part 135 operator that runs on a rather unique business model: Fractional Ownership. Their Who Is page gives most of the detail about what they are, but for the most part, they essentially 'sell' the customer partial ownership of a corporate jet of their choosing. The customer essentially buys a specific number of hours that it would be needed for the year, and NetJets takes care of all the operating costs of the aircraft. It's like owning the aircraft, but not having to worry about the logistics. They fly everyone from sports teams to CEO's of major corporations.

Job Description and details: Their requirements for pilots are not too far fetched, at least when compared to the big airlines. Their requirements can be found here.

• Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (Multi-Engine Land)
• Current FAA First Class Medical certificate
• 2500 hours total pilot time
• 500 hours fixed wing multi-engine time
• 250 hours instrument time (actual or simulated in flight - excludes simulator time)

As well, the type of pilot they are looking for can be found here.

• Demonstrate an unwavering dedication to safety
• Focus on exceeding the expectations of each passenger as the norm
• Act as an ambassador for the Company
• Are open and flexible to ever-changing flight schedules
• Empower and respect fellow team members
• Strive for continuous improvement and increased profitability for the Company

They also have a rather detailed section on their website telling the prospective pilot what they can expect after being hired, and the working environment. All of that can be found on their What to Expect page.


New Hire Training:

• Basic Indoctrination at NetJets Operations Center in Columbus, OH (approximately 11 days)
  - Minimum of 5 days off to follow
• Initial Aircraft (Simulator) Training – Location varies and duration can exceed a month for certain types of aircraft; however, the average is usually 11 to 25 days
  - Minimum of 5 days off to follow
• After successfully completing training, pilot will be released to begin initial operating experience
  

Working Environment

• Cockpit/Pilot station size – Pilots must fit and be able to fully function in NetJets aircraft
• Aircraft assignments or changes to assignments are not based upon pilot size
• Owners will bring baggage and cargo of various sizes and weights that will be loaded by crewmembers
• Owners and passengers can and will smoke during flight
• Animals (including, but not limited to dogs, cats and birds) can and will be carried aboard the aircraft in the main cabin. Animals are not usually in cages. This means NetJets pilots have direct contact with animal hair, feathers, etc.
• With few exceptions, the maximum required duty day is 14 hours
• The minimum rest period is 10 hours

Sadly, at this time, NetJets is not hiring, however fear not. The need for pilots is beginning to grow, and they are always accepting applications. The best the to do is to submit your profile at their website. I plan on doing it. How about you?

Not your fathers Star Trek!

The shuttle has flown its last mission.  President Obama has cancelled plans to return to the moon.  NASA is getting restructured to perform a different type of mission.  The days of space exploration, as we know it, are gone.  It is now the dawn of a new age of Space Exploration.  The Final Frontier is now a new Final Frontier.  The real question is, what is happening now?  What is NASA planning out over the next 25 years?  Who is going to take on the role of the Astronaut now?  Well, those answers aren't too hard to imagine.

First up, we have Virgin Atlantic.  Sir Richard Branson has taken it upon himself to create the first commercial space fleet.   If anyone can pull off commercializing space flight, it would be Mr. Branson.  He has been a pioneer in the field of aviation, and it's clear that he is determined to bring this frontier to the common folk.  On that note, he is also essentially creating a new need for pilots.  Pilots will now become astronauts, of sorts.  Low earth orbit is not like what NASA has done, but it's still considered space.  Combine all of this with the fact that he has decided to create his 'spaceport' in New Mexico, and it's a win win for the United States aviation industry as a whole.  Oh, and if you ever get a chance to read this Richard, contact me.  I'm available.  I will fly for food.

NASA, on the other hands, appears to not have abandoned its mission of Space Exploration (thankfully).  NASA has released its Global Exploration Roadmap which details it's mission over the next 25 years, and it includes robotics, human working environments in space, a possible moonbase, Mars base, and the possibility of traveling to an asteroid in the future.  It's good to see that NASA is trying to move forward with its original intentions, even if programs have been scrapped.

Eventually, and likely not in my lifetime, we will have the technology to venture to new worlds, new solar systems, and to colonize extrasolar planets.  We have already identified a number of planets that could sustain life as we know it.  The immediate affects of the space industry are rather apparent.  There is massive potential growth for aviation jobs in the space industry.  Virgin Galactic has already shown that there is a desire for commercial based space travel, with customers lined up for flights and having already paid deposits.  The benefits are also limitless.  The time required for commercial flights across the globe can be cut down dramatically.   Technologies needed for sustained space flight can go to benefit mankind in ways we haven't even imagined yet.  Essentially, the sky is the limit. 

Hopefully, we will continue to innovate in ways not yet though of, and continue to offer the aviation industry new avenues of exploration, both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial.

Cap and Trade: EU vs the US.

Recently (within the last 6 years), the European Union has passed legislation that puts a 'Cap and Trade' system in place to help reduce carbon emissions and makes for a better atmosphere.  Essentially, companies have to purchase 'tokens' based on the amount of greenhouse gasses they produce, and the funds are used to develop technologies that are more environmentally friendly.  This sounds great, on paper.  They have introduced legislation that adds onto that the emissions given off by aircraft, and thus the airlines in the EU also now have to abide by that program.  This legislation is supposed to go into effect as of 2012.  

There's one little problem with the legislation as it stands, however:  They are forcing US based carriers to pay for the entirety of a flight that goes into their sovereignty as a destination.  Essentially, if a flight starts in Los Angeles, and flies to Frankfurt, the carrier would have to pay for the entire flight to Frankfurt, including the portion over foreign airspace and US airspace, in essence paying a 'tax' to the EU over US property.  That doesn't make any sense. If this were to stand as is, US carriers would have to pay billions in revenue on a yearly basis to the EU Emissions Trading System.  This is money out of the airlines pockets, directly into the EU pockets.  It would make more sense if the system was designed to reinvest directly into aviation for technologies that burn fuel more efficiently, but that is not the case.  This is basically the EU forcing their policies and beliefs on a different sovereignty.  

Honestly, it's a little scary.  I'm not going to argue that their intentions aren't good.   A simple read through the aviation portion of the EU ETS site tells me they are doing this with the intention of doing the right thing, building it as a model for other countries.  Their method, however, is wrong.  What gives them the right to impose their will on the US?  Nothing.

The overall cost to the airlines will be huge.  The Airlines will likely find workarounds to game the system anyway, which would most likely cause more emissions than before.  A good example is the fact that the US carrier may just land somewhere in Turkey, and then take the flight into their EU destination, avoiding a heft cost.  It was found that about 9% of an overseas trips would actually be within EU airspace, which means that the carrier should only have to pay for 9% of that flight.  Instead, the EU is forcing payment for the entire flight.

As it is, the US Congress has created a bill, HR 2594, that prohibits any US based carrier to pay any fees to the EU in their cap and trade scheme.  The bill essentially tell the EU to bugger off.  I agree with this bill.  The only problem is where does that leave the US carrier?  Will they have to cancel overseas business to the EU? Will they have to find longer routes to avoid EU airspace?  Only time will tell what's going to happen, but rest assured, it's going to happen soon.  We only have 2.5 months left in this year.  I, for one, will be keeping a very close eye on this situation.