Month: January 2009

The Hero Of Flight 1549

Chesley Burnett ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III is an unlikely name for a superhero, but that’s what he is. Captain Sullenberger was in command of his US Airways A320 aircraft as it was climbing out of La Guardia airport when disaster struck. We can’t be sure of the cause at this point, but it is clear that Captain Sullenberger’s aircraft suffered a catastrophic loss of power that required him to try and return to the field for an emergency landing. It became certain to him and his First Officer that they weren’t going to make it back to the runway, and they quickly decided to ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River. The river was their only choice, as crash landing in the middle of New York’s densely populated skyscrapers most certainly would not have turned out so well.

Captain Sullenberger made the right choice, and he and his crew responded using the countless hours of training they had received in preparation for just such an emergency. The Flight Attendants prepared the cabin and passengers for a crash landing. The First Officer quickly and precisely assisted his Captain in executing a perfect forced landing in a river. That was the first time in 45 years that an airliner had crash-landed in the water, and every passenger and crewmen on board had made it out alive.

This is an era where many in the general population think of airline pilots as better-dressed bus drivers who simply manage an autopilot. I hope this story makes people consider just how hard pilots have to work every day to always be ready for an emergency. It’s a profession that deserves much more respect than it typically receives lately. I’m so glad this crew is getting the “hero” treatment. What an honor it is to fly those amazing machines with such trust placed in you by so many people. Maybe more people will recognize that now – I know the passengers on Flight 1549 do.

Ban on Corporate Aircraft Removed From Bailout Bill

Chrysler, GM and Ford executives caused a public and Congressional backlash when they arrived in Washington last year in private jets to plead for a financial bailout from Congress. As a result, Congress planned to place a ban on owning or leasing private aircraft by corporations receiving money from the TARP Bailout Program.

That ban has been described as an over-reaction that could affect the jobs of more than 1,265,000 people employed in the General Aviation Industry. The ban would also lessen the $150 billion dollars the industry adds to the U.S. economy.

Then there was the threat the ban posed to us who aspire to fly for a living. Corporate flight departments employ tens of thousands of pilots in this country. Corporate aviation is one of a few alternatives to flying for an airline, and provides a great career. Those flying jobs would be severely reduced in number by the ban.

The proposed ban caused an immediate reaction from the General Aviation community. Citizens from groups such as Alliance for Aviation Across America began contacting members of Congress in large numbers, demanding that the ban be deleted from TARP. In response, the private aircraft ban was removed yesterday from the TARP Bill by the bill’s author, Representative Barney Frank.

AirTran Recalls Pilots, Will Hire More Flight Attendants in February

AirTran Airways will soon recall 60 pilots back from furlough. The recall is in response to an increase in AirTran’s projected passenger loads. AirTran has announced plans to increase the hours flown by each of their aircraft, according to the Atlanta Constitution. AirTran will also hire as many as 120 new Flight Attendants.

Mike Best, the President of AirTran’s pilot union, said that they are “very hopeful” that the remaining AirTran pilots still on furlough will be recalled later this year.

AOPA President Trains With ATP

I recently received my copy of AOPA Flight Training Magazine and the first thing I read about was the new President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) earning his Multi-engine Rating with ATP in Richmond, Virginia. New President Craig Fuller will write a monthly article about the thrill of being a pilot and general aviation, and I look forward to every one of them. Craig will be an excellent advocate of aviation, as the preceding three AOPA Presidents have been, and we look forward to flying with him again.

Economic Recovery is Inevitable: Gulfstream is Expanding Now

Gulfstream executives say that it will proceed with expansion plans at its facilities despite the economic downturn. Aviation Analyst Richard Aboulafia says Gulfstream is well-situated to benefit from on the inevitable uptick in the market with the several new aircraft models. “Gulfstream is wisely getting that going in preparation for the next upturn,” Aboulafia said. “If you accept that wealth generation will return, the need for transport will return, globalization will return.”

Mr. Aboulafia makes a good point, which is that there is a lot of investment money that is sitting idle at this time. History has shown that this situation can’t last long and that it will be inevitable that investors will return to the marketplace to generate wealth. At that time, the need for transportation will return to normal levels and aviation and the airline industry will return to its historic levels of activity. The need for pilots will also expand sharply at that time, and those that have trained and prepared for those pilot positions will get the jobs.

SkyWest Airlines is Accepting Applications Again

Skywest has begun to accept resumes again after a long respite. Delta Airlines has assigned additional aircraft and routes to Skywest after the dust settled from its merger with Northwest Airlines.

Skywest has announced that the minimum acceptable flight experience is 1,000 hours, although they have agreed to accept substantially less if an applicant is a graduate of ATP’s Regional Jet Standards Certification Program.

Delta Air Lines recently reversed a decision to allocate 15 Bombardier CRJ900s to Mesaba Airlines and instead will only award five of the aircraft to the carrier. Now Delta Connection partner Skywest will operate the remaining 10 aircraft, possibly with its subsidiary ASA.

Fuel Rebates: Students Are Top-Priority at ATP

I work for the ATP’s Regional Jet Department and as such I don’t do much for the Airline Career Pilot Program Students until they are finished with their training and are ready to transition to RJs. However, I do have many opportunities to observe ATP going about its business of training tomorrow’s airline pilots, and I’m continually impressed with ACPP graduates. When they come through the RJ Program they consistently fly like they have a much higher experience level than they actually do.

I have never seen a flight academy like Airline Transport Professionals, and there are good reasons for the results that they get. ATP’s top management team is a sincere advocate of its students, and it shows. Their attitude travels down the line to other ATP employees and instructors, and the end result is an academy where the students always come first.

In a press release last week, ATP vice-president Jim Koziarski announced the simultaneous price decrease for the ACPP and a rebate to current students, due to the decreased cost of AvGas. ATP is giving its current students a rebate of up to $2500. Tuition has been reduced for any newly enrolled ACPP Students to reflect the current cost of AvGas.

When my peers ask me why I am so proud to be with ATP, I point to the many examples of where ATP has done the right thing. From price decreases to rebates, from CFI job-search assistance to Regional Airline hiring partnerships, ATP makes every effort to ensure its students’ succeed in the pursuit of their career goals.

Is there any other institution of this type that, even in an economic downturn, is willing to actually give money back to students? I think you’ll find that, in cases like these, ATP stands alone.