Senior Seminar Final Post

When I started senior seminar class a couple months ago, I had a pretty good idea as to what I was going to do for a career path. I made the decision to flight instruct until I built enough hours to get hired onto a regional airline. From there, a major airline was to be the next step once their hour minimums were met, such as Delta Airlines. I have learned a great deal about the aviation industry throughout the past weeks from all the speakers we had visit our class, from an airport manager to a full blow Delta captain. By researching different blog topics, I have broadened my horizons and am not looking into the possibility of doing something different in aviation. My ultimate goal is still the same, I want to retire as an airline captain someday, but the means of getting to that position are no longer necessarily through the regional airline carriers. I will still most likely end up at one of these carriers after flight instructing, but I am now considering flying for an on demand charter service such as Kalitta Charters. Both operations have their positives, I believe I will make the decision that best suits me at the time, until then, I have to keep my mind open to new possibilities.

When discussing previous blog topics, I would have to say the least interesting would have to be the professionalism post, the subject matter, although important, was very dry. Having to research ways to be a better professional was a very long and drawn out process. On the other hand, I would have to say the most interesting blog topic covered in this class was general aviation in China. Researching the developments and possibilities for aviation in that country was very interesting to me. As far as the most influential speakers that attended our classes, I would have to say the airline pilots that talked shed a lot of light on the industry I am about to start a long career in and proved very intriguing. As of now, I plan to further my career in aviation by continuing to gain ratings and building more time as a flight instructor.

Professional Aviation Groups

As an aviation professional, I believe it is very important to belong to professional organizations within the industry. The possibilities are endless as far as helpful resources that an association can provide anyone in the aviation or any other industry from job openings to legal assistance. As an airline pilot, I will most definitely belong to two organizations, the first being Air Line Pilots Association, International or, ALPA. This is a must for any airline pilot because of the powerful advocacy for pilots around the globe. Another group to be a member of is Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association or, AOPA. This organization is essential to any pilot, from a student pilot all the way up to an airline captain, this group has many resources to aid all airmen with pilot groups in every major airline.

The Air Line Pilots Association is a great organization that’s mission statement reads as follows:

“The mission of the Air Line Pilots Association is to promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all segments of the aviation community; to represent, in both specific and general respects, the collective interests of all pilots in commercial aviation; to assist in collective bargaining activities on behalf of all pilots represented by the Association; to promote the health and welfare of the members of the Association before all governmental agencies; to be a strong, forceful advocate of the airline piloting profession, through all forms of media, and with the public at large; and to be the ultimate guardian and defender of the rights and privileges of the professional pilots who are members of the Association.”

This is a very strong statement that covers many aspects including safety, interests of all commercial pilots, assisting in collective bargaining and foremost to be the defender of the rights of all their members. This group functions as a representative for all commercial pilots across the industry, not only airline pilots. They also provide resources to gain more knowledge as an aspiring pilot researching career options. I believe it is extremely important for an airline pilot to be a part of this association because of the assistance they provide to pilots under matters of salary, benefits and working conditions. By joining, one would make the group that much more influential when ALPA represents pilots views to the government when regarding legislation.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is definitely a group in which every pilot should be part of, from resources in flight training to legal help when an airman breaks a regulation, AOPA is there to help. Their mission statement list is listed here:

“We protect your freedom to fly by…

·                     advocating on behalf of our members,

·                     educating pilots, nonpilots, and policy makers alike,

·                     supporting activities that ensure the long-term health of General Aviation,

·                     fighting to keep General Aviation accessible to all, and

·                     securing sufficient resources to ensure our success. ("Mission and History of AOPA," n.d.)”

AOPA has been around since the late 1930s in order to protect the freedom to fly while also promoting safety and affordability. Their presence in the aviation community  has been prominent throughout the 20^th century from lobbying for more airports to the Civil Aeronautics Authority in the 1940s to fighting against user fees in the 2000s. As a whole, AOPA fights for the rights of all pilots in the United States and looks out for their interests as a group, but they also provide services to individual members. As an example, they provide pilots with legal services when they are caught by the FAA. They also have the AOPA foundation which has a goal of raising $58 million to promote initiatives to increase student pilot enrollments. I believe it is important for any pilot in the US to support AOPA by becoming a member because of all the great benefits that come with it, but most important is the contribution one would make to a great cause in order to further aviation’s reach in the community.

ALPA Board of Directors. (1992, October). Mission Statement. Air Line Pilots Association. Retrieved from http://www.alpa.org/Home/WhoWeAre/MissionStatement/tabid/2237/Default.aspx

Mission and History of AOPA. (n.d.). Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.aopa.org/About-AOPA/Governance/Mission-and-History-of-AOPA.aspx