Norwegian Air

Norwegian Air International is the third low cost air carrier in Europe.  The company is licensed and based out of Ireland, and the pilots are hired from Asian countries such as the Philippines and Singapore, as well as, Europe and the US.  They are classified as an international air carrier, but operate around the World excluding the United States of America.

 

US Carriers are against Norwegian Air International for a few reasons.  One of the reasons being that they would be able to sneak by labor laws and safety rules.  This could potentially cause an ample amount of issues here in the United States.  Also, due to the fact that Norwegian Air International is licensed in different countries, it would be very hard to hold someone accountable since there would not be one place that could be held responsible.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/09/02/dot-norwegian-air-alpa-foxx/14810499/

 

The United States Department of Transportation recently rejected Norwegian Air International from flying routes to the United States on the basis of the complexity of the situation.  The DOT only grants temporary access in clear cut cases, so they decided to reject the case temporarily until a permanent decision can be made.  I personally believe this is the best decision at least maintaining the intercontinental routes we have here in the United States.

 

If Norwegian Air International is granted access in the United States I think this will be very detrimental to the United States air carriers.  We should continue to protect our routes and only grant subsidies to international airlines.  This way we can protect US companies and allow their business to grow while still maintaining competition.

Unmanned Aviation

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, is a technology that is expanding and developing at significant rates.  This field of aviation is becoming more practical and suitable for use other than by the Military.  The civilian sector is utilizing UAVs in ways that make jobs more efficient and advanced.  Law enforcement is using UAVs for public safety, Border Patrol uses UAVs for border security and surveillance, the DNR and US Forest Service are utilizing drones for wildlife research and conservation, and even private sector companies like Amazon are looking into the possibilities of delivering packages by UAV.  This area of aviation for now is very regulated, being that you need strict permits to be able to operate UAVs and they cannot be operated in Class B Airspace.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/

Personally, I believe that UAV flight will be limited for the next few decades, until technology becomes more advanced.  I foresee UAV flight being limited to certain airports for takeoff and landing, certain airspaces being off limits, certain routes of travel designated or off limits, and the FAA will regulate who can fly these UAVs legally.  Until there is better technology, like NextGen, I do not foresee UAVs being integrated into the NAS.

The use of UAVs in the Military has greatly helped the outreach of the battle field commander and also has changed our strategy when fighting an enemy.  For example, you can send in a drone to conduct tactical airstrikes instead of sending in actual troops or actual human flown aircraft.  Also, commanders can utilize this asset to help conduct reconnaissance missions, take out valuable targets, and instead of risk human lives they can conduct airstrikes by UAV.

The only jobs I was really able to locate in regards to UAVs are in the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force.  There were a few others working directly for aircraft manufactures like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.  One thing I did notice was there are a lot of colleges starting to offer classes and even Majors in unmanned aviation systems.

Corporate Aviation

There seems to be some very distinct differences between pilot jobs at corporate level aviation and airlines.  Some of these include scheduling, pay, and living conditions.  For example, someone working in the airline industry would be on a strict schedule, unless on reserves, and flying at very different times throughout the day.  A pilot working for a corporate aviation department may not have a set schedule, and could always be on call.  Someone flying for corporate will need to be ready to fly at any time.  Also, another difference is the living conditions.  Flying for the airline you may not be able to live in one location, especially as a newer and younger pilot.  In Corporate you will be able to live in one location, wherever the company bases their aircraft.
This argument is based upon the fact that if employees or executives are waiting at airports, being stalled by cancelled or delayed flights rather than working then the company is losing money.  Also, it allows people to be more efficient workers and get wherever they need to be without the wait.  Personally, I agree with the fact that corporate aviation departments can actually save a company money.  I think that if corporate aviation can help get an employee somewhere faster to make that sale then the company ultimately is making money.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/businessaviation/2012/08/06/business-aviation-the-unfair-advantage/

The LECO Corporation, based in Saint Joseph, MI has a corporate aviation department.  They operate one aircraft out of South Bend, IN and currently have two pilots.  They are not hiring at this time and do not have any real job requirements posted.