Aviation Organizations

1. What associations will it be important to belong to when you are employed and engaged on your career path?  Identify at least two organizations.

Excluding the Airline Pilots Association and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, I believe it will be important to belong to the Experimental Aircraft Association. Anyone with an interest in Aviation can join. Being a member myself they offer great resources for the beginners’, up to the very experienced and beyond. This organization is not only for pilots, they welcome anyone with an interest in Aviation to join or participate within their organization. From their founding in 1953, the EAA has been the pinnacle for the freedom of flight. ‘They are a community of passionate aviation enthusiasts that promotes and supports recreational flying. Their vision is a vibrant and growing aviation community. Their mission is to grow participation in aviation by promoting the “Spirit of Aviation.”’ (EAA, 2018)

The next organization I would belong to is the National Business Aviation Association. The NBAA was founded for the sole purpose of protecting business aircraft operators. (NBAA, 2018) Back in 1946 the business side of aviation had not been touched by the government and the founders felt that they needed an organization to help protect their rights. With over 10,000-member companies, that employ over 19 million people, its no wonder the NBAA is at the forefront of protecting business aircraft.

2. Research the associations that you identified. Discuss the mission and functions of each association. Also discuss the role of these organizations in the overall industry, including their support for other sectors of the industry.

The EAAs mission is to ‘grow participation in aviation by promoting the “Spirit of Aviation.”’ The EAA not only promotes the most basic, grassroots of flying but also promotes a wide variety of the aviation industry. From the EAA website, this includes serving the community by:

Inspiring new participants in aviation

• Inviting the public to experience freedom of flight
• Providing a compelling view of possibilities
• Nurturing interest in aviation
• Supporting clear pathways to participation

Enriching the participation experience

• Protecting rights and the freedom to fly
• Encouraging affordable flying in a local environment 
• Cultivating and providing knowledge, information, and resources
• Embracing diverse interests, camaraderie, and fun
• Supporting and promoting aviation events and activities

The NBAAs mission statement is “To foster an environment that allows business aviation to thrive in the United States and around the world” (NBAA, 2018). NBAA is not only focused on business aircraft and operations. They also advocate for issues such as aviation safety, operational efficiency, fair and equal access, FAA reform, air support, air traffic control modernization, and much more.

3. Discuss why is it important for you to belong to these associations.

I believe it is important to belong to both these associations and more like them. The Aviation world is large, but everyone knows someone. The EAA and NBAA both embody the world of Aviation to the fullest. Both companies help the industry in separate ways but both organizations promote the meaning of Aviation. With over 135 years of combined Aviation service, it is no wonder these organizations are so successful. Both organizations also provide some great networking opportunities. The EAA has chapters at local airports that could have anyone from the basic GA pilot to the CEO of a major airline. With over 200,000 members, events across the country and with the largest aviation gathering at Oshkosh you are bound to meet a lot of people. The NBAA also holds several events throughout the year along with regional forums and a national conference and exhibit.

4. Describe potential employment opportunities with these organizations.

At both the EAA and NBAA there are full and part time job opportunities as well as internships. Some of the internships that the EAA has are: Marketing Business, Development, Membership Services, Human Resources, Government Advocacy, Information Technology (IT), Communications/PR, Convention Admin, Education Events, Graphic Design, and Photography. The EAA also offers volunteer opportunities either year-round opportunities or for the largest aviation gathering in the world during the Oshkosh air show.

A potential employment opportunity at the NBAA is being a regional representative. This position “provides oversight and implementation of initiatives focused on business aviation advocacy, influencing aviation policy, interacting with the aviation industry and working with members at local, state and regional levels.” (NBAA, 2018)

References

Who We Are. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/about-eaa/who-we-are

History. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/about-eaa/eaa-history

EAA – Where Your Work Ignites Passion. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/about-eaa/eaa-careers

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh | Oshkosh, Wisconsin | Fly-In & Convention. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

NBAA History. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2018, from https://www.nbaa.org/about/history/

Careers With NBAA. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018, from https://www.nbaa.org/about/careers/

Events by Date. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2018, from https://www.nbaa.org/events/date/

Open Skies

1) Describe the US-UAE Open Skies Agreement. List and describe two long-haul carriers that are a part of this agreement that also receive government subsidies.

An Open Skies Agreement is between two countries that have foreign commercial carriers operating in their countries. The agreement is to allow foreign carriers to operate freely in and over the other country and vise versa (US Government, 2015). The United States is a member in 120 of these agreements. One that has currently been under the micro scope is the United Arab Emirates agreement. The United States focus in some of the agreements is very little to no governmental subsidies to a countries own airline. The UAE agreement has been under fire because the United States legacy carriers have been in uproar that the countries two largest airline (Emirates and Etihad) have been receiving government subsidies to keep the airline tickets cheaper than the United States carrier. This is very much true. Just look at the prices for yourself. Using Emirates, a flight from NYC to Dubai on March 30 till April 6, is $1,025.41 (Emirates, 2018). A flight on Delta for the same days is $1,733.41 (Delta, 2018). Just over $700 difference for the same ticket. Emirates which is based in Dubai and whose parent company is The Emirates Group is owned by the Government of Dubai. That is a huge conflict of interest. The City of Dubai became the land of the rich due to the massive oil reserves that they own. This makes the governments pockets very deep and very likely to use that money to grow their Airline. They can use this profit from oil to lower the operating cost of their jumbo jets to reduce the fair on tickets to allow more passengers.

Now I will say this, according to Ashley Nunes a guest writer for Forbes, Aviation Week, NPR and Weird; he states that the American Carriers do business with other airlines that receive massive amounts of government subsidies. Such as Delta who is partnered with China Eastern and China Southern who both received about $865 million in government subsidies (Nunes, 2016). Also, Delta (who has been the front runner) also receives help from our Government. The State of Georgia just got rid of a huge jet-fuel tax break for Delta. So, there is some blame on both sides of the aisle.

2) Do any long-haul US carriers receive subsidies or have received subsidies in the past? If so, which airlines? Why?

All three long-haul US carriers receive and have receive subsidies. Between 1957 and 1984 the US government allotted $928 million to Delta, United and American. After the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the whole airline system took a dive for the worst.  On September 22, 2001 (just 11 days after the attacks) Congress and President Bush implemented the Air Transportation Safety and Stabilization Act (Congress, 2001). Which granted up to $10 Billion in federal loans to the air carriers. Another example of a subsidies is Chapter 11 protection. An airline can file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to dismiss debts and freeze wages that foreign airlines cannot.  All three legacy carriers and those they have merged with have all filed for chapter 11.

3) Another complaint is that long-haul foreign carriers have made aircraft purchases at "below market interest rates" that are unavailable to US carriers. How is this possible? Please discuss the Export-Import Bank.

The way foreign carriers can purchase aircraft “below market value,” is due to the Export-Import bank. This bank is Government run and is used by foreign companies to purchase American made products at a lower interest rate than the rest of the market. American companies are not allowed to use this service for Boeing products as the products must be imported for them to use the service. This is why Delta just purchased 100 Airbus A321neos with an option to purchase 100 more.

4) Are there any current issues with Norwegian International Airlines and the Open Skies Agreement? What about with carriers such as Emirates or Qatar?

Norwegian International Airlines is a subsidiary of the European low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle. The three legacy carriers are scared that with its low operating cost they will under cut their fares flying out of the United States. They believe that since they are headquartered in Ireland (with low taxes) they will be able to pay very little for their crews and hire Asian workers at ‘below market wages’ (Zhang, 2017).

I believe the issue the three legacy carriers have with Emirates and Qatar is that they are on the legacies turf. The Gulf carriers can cut ticket prices due to large amounts of government subsidies. The legacies can’t keep up with the cost of flying into the Gulf and are losing out on a big profit there and they don’t like it.

5) Finally, critically analyzing the above information, do you feel that the global "playing field" of long-haul carriers is fair?

I do not believe the long-haul carriers playing field is fair. Every airline worldwide accepts some form of subsidy from their government for their airline to prosper in the world-wide market. This is even true for the American carriers. My first paragraph sounds like I am totally agreeing with the legacies, but I am an American and want the airlines that represent the United States to continue to grow. I do believe the message that the legacies are marketing, that the Gulf carriers are taking US jobs is a fictitious statement. They just want to keep their turf theirs and don’t want to lose the war of the airlines.

References

Open Skies Partnerships: Expanding the Benefits of Freer Commercial Aviation. (2017, July 05). Retrieved March 18, 2018, from https://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/fs/2017/267131.htm

D. (2001, September 22). H.R.2926 - 107th Congress (2001-2002): Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. Retrieved March 18, 2018, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/2926

Nunes, A. (2016, November 17). Government Airline Subsidies... So What? Retrieved March 18, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/17/government-airline-subsidies-so-what/#3054b9381f5f

Zhang, B. (2017, February 09). Europe's best low-cost airline could be an issue for the Trump administration. Retrieved March 18, 2018, from http://www.businessinsider.com/norwegian-air-international-america-trump-2017-2

FAA Admin

-What are the qualifications of John Dunkin (President Trump's pilot)?

This should be an interesting post. On January 7, 2018 Michael Huerta; after over six years as FAA Administrator was replaced by Daniel Elwell. Michael Huerta took the position from Randy Babbitt who resigned on December 6, 2011. Huerta was acting administrator from 2011-2013 when he was finally confirmed administrator. His term was to last five years and on January 6, 2018 his term ended. This created a void for the position and Daniel Elwell was appointed acting administrator. Now a permanent administrator is needed. Trump has nominated his private pilot John Dunkin. This is the second time we have seen John Dunkins name thrown around. Back in February 2017, during a meeting with top airline executives he said, “my pilot, he is a smart guy, and he knows what’s going on.” (Trump, 2017) John has been flying since the age of 15. There is no doubt he is a competent pilot. He has flown Trumps personal Boeing 757 all over the globe. But is he a competent administrator? Dunkin has been Trumps pilot since 1989 and has managed airline and corporate flight departments. (Mighty Planes, 2013) He also oversaw Trumps campaign fleet. Seeing as I can’t find any information on what airline he managed or corporate flight department besides Trumps I can’t say if he is competent in that way. I can say that it is a little bit conflict of interest. Seeing as he is the Presidents pilot and he agrees with the privatization of ATC. It will be interesting to see how this story plays out.

-Who are the other candidates for FAA Administrator and what are their qualifications?

Another candidate is current acting administrator Daniel Elwell. He earned his wings after graduating from the Air Force academy and racking up more than 6,000 hours in civilian and military operations. He was an airline pilot with American Airlines for 16 years. Piloting the DC-10, MD-80, and Boeing 757/767. From 2008-2013 he was the Vice President for the Aerospace Industries Association. He ten became the Senior Vice President for Safety, Security, and Operations at Airlines for America. He then became Deputy Administrator and on January 7, 2018 was named Acting Administrator (Transportation.gov, 2018).

Another candidate is Bobby Sturgell. He has a similar path as Elwell. Graduated from the Naval Academy. He flew for United Airlines, flying the Boeing 757/767. He was the Deputy Administrator from 2003-2007 when he was appointed Acting Administrator from 2007-2009. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Washington Operations for Rockwell Collins.

-Pick two past FAA Administrators. What was their qualifications?

The most recent would be Michael Huerta. His qualifications include commissioner of New Yorks’ department of ports, executive director of the Port of San Francisco, Managing Director with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Group President of the Transportation Solutions Group at Affiliated Computer Services. In 2010 he became Deputy Administrator and in 2011 became Acting Administrator. In 2013 he became confirmed Administrator.

Randy Babbitt was the Administrator from 2009-2011. His term is shrouded by his drunk driving arrest in 2011. But before that he was an airline pilot for Eastern Airlines for 25 years. He also was the Executive Administrator for the Air Line Pilots Association from 1987-1990. In 1990 he was the President of ALPA. In 2011 he was arrested for drunk driving which the charge was dropped in 2012 as the arresting officer had a hunch that he was drunk. Not enough evidence to pull him over. Also, a video of the arrest was shown in court and it showed that he was not driving in the wrong direction that the officer said he was (Jouvenal, 2012). In 2012 he was hired at Southwest Airlines as the Vice President of Labor Relations.

-What is the job description of FAA Administrator?

The FAA Administrator, “is responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world — a system that operates more than 50,000 flights per day. He oversees a $16.4 billion-dollar budget, more than 47,000 employees, and is focused on ensuring the agency and its employees are the best prepared and trained professionals to meet the growing demands and requirements of the industry.” (FAA, 2018)

-In terms of your career and based upon the job description above, do you feel that it matters who the FAA Administrator is? Why or why not?

I do believe it matters who is chosen as FAA Administrator. I do not think just anyone can run a whole government agency without some prior experience in a high leadership role. This being said I do not believe John Dunkin is fit to be the FAA Administrator. I believe he lacks the experience of an administrator. I believe Daniel Elwell should be appointed based on his past and that he has been the second in command since June 2017.

References

Daniel K. Elwell. (2018, January 10). Retrieved March 3, 2018, from https://www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/elwell/

Laris, M., & III, A. H. (2018, February 27). As President Trump puts longtime personal pilot on shortlist to head FAA, agency faces biggest challenges in decades. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/27/john-dunkin-faa-short-list/

(2013, June 9). Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/mighty-planes/trump-757/1003002/3398551

Jouvenal, J. (2012, May 10). Drunken driving charge dismissed against former FAA chief Randy Babbitt. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/drunk-driving-charges-dismissed-against-former-faa-chief-randy-babbitt/2012/05/10/gIQA0SbuFU_story.html?utm_term=.128fbd03b4e2

Deputy FAA Administrator Dan Elwell To Serve as Acting FAA Administrator. (2018, January 05). Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot0118