Aviation Organizations

            As I progress toward my professional future I find it important to join organizations to further my knowledge and networking in the aviation field. Some of those organizations that would be beneficial are Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (AOPA) and Nation Business AviationAssociation (NBAA).

            The AOPA is “a tax-exempt charitable, educational, and scientific organization, educates the public on the value of general aviation. The AOPA Foundation works to improve aviation safety through the Air Safety Institute, preserve community airports, and encourage learning to fly for career and personal benefit -- all in the interest of ensuring the future of general aviation in America.” They accomplish this mission by improving safety on general aviation, growing and nurturing the pilot population, preserving and improving community airports, and improving general aviation’s image.

            NBAA’s mission is to foster an environment that allows business aviation to thrive in the United States and around the world.  The NBAA helps students who are in aviation by offering over $100,000 in scholarships each year.  They also helps students by providing opportunities to further network in the aviation community. NBAA also provides opportunities for exclusive exhibiting around the world to its members.  The business aviation community has looked to NBAA as a leader in enhancing safety and security, shaping public policy, providing world-renowned industry events and advancing the business goals of 10,000 Member Companies worldwide.

Flying Cheap and Professionalism

            If I had to choose where and what I wanted to do in aviation, I would have to say I want to be a corporate pilot for a company with a flight department like MASCO.

            Masco is a company which headquarters is in Taylor, Michigan and located right down the street from me. Masco Corporation is a manufacturer of products for the home improvement and new home construction markets. Masco is also a provider of a variety of installed products and services, including insulation for homebuilders. My job as a corporate pilot would be flying aircraft owned by Masco transporting executives to branch plants and business conferences.

            Being in aviation there are always things to consider like safety and liability. I understand that we have come a long way in regards to safety in the field of aviation but you are never free of risk. Some risks that apply to corporate aviation would definitely be the pressures of management to fly or get the airplane and costumers where they need to be. This becomes a huge deal in a corporate aviation, when you have executives in the back of the plane that control your salary (life) it becomes hard to say no.

Professionalism is represented by your skills and the way you talk, write, act, and looking on and off the job. In the documentary “Cheap Flight” there was a definite lack of professionalism by the pilots and management of Colgan Air. There was a lack of professionalism by management due to pressures being applied on the pilots to take unnecessary risks and be overall unsafe. There was also a lack of professionalism by the pilots for not recognizing and standing up to management to point out these blatantly disregards of safety. There are two ways I plan on being or improving my professionalism; one is to know when to be professional and when to be a friend. Another way to expand my professionalism is to notice if or when I may be forced in to a situation of being unsafe and to be able to make the right decision when the time comes.