Norwegian Airlines, despite the name, is based in Ireland, but does not fly in Ireland. They also use pilots and crew from places like Singapore and Thailand which they can pay much less and helps them to reduce the cost of flights. NAI (Norwegian Airlines International) currently flies to New York, Florida, and California but are pushing for more flights into the US.
US carriers are opposed to allowing NAI to operate within the US because they do not agree with the way it is ran and because they would not be able to compete with the low prices that NAI offers. The DOT has recently denied NAI's attempt for a temporary flight permit while it reviews their request to fly within the states. The labor laws have been called into question along with their Ireland operation that is not even in Ireland just so they can take advantage of loopholes in the law.
I definitely agree with the decision to not let NAI operate within the US. Not only is it not ethical what they are doing, but it is not legal for most airline operations. Why should we make an exception for them? It could greatly affect the pilot jobs and pay for pilots here and with starting pay already so low it could be devastating to pilot jobs here in the US. If they eventually make it here I believe it will increase the pilot shortage. One of the big reasons there is a pilot shortage today is because the cost of school compared to the ridiculously low salary when you graduate. With low cost carriers taking over we will see pilots from overseas taking over the jobs of American pilots because they can work for cheaper. I believe the airlines will take a big hit and it will change the whole structure of the airlines and open the door for other airlines to come in and do the same.
http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/216434-feds-dismiss-norwegian-air-bid-for-expedited-us-flight-approval
http://www.goiam.org/index.php/imail/latest/13267-unions-urge-dot-to-deny-norwegian-air-scam-
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
UAVs
There are many ways that UAVs, or drones, can be used for civilian purposes. Agriculture is one of the ways drones have been put to use. The drones can treat land faster, and monitor the crops closer at a cheaper cost than small planes can. They can even detect areas where nitrogen levels are low and monitor specific sections of the field. Weather forecasting and storm tracking is another use for UAVs. They are able to get closer to the storms to gather information that would be to dangerous for manned aircraft. Another use is to monitor wildlife populations or map roads and wetlands for land management purposes, and chart land use changes like deforestation, which can threaten many wildlife species. Drones have thermal sensors which make them a good option for search and rescue. They can cover more ground and rough terrain than other vehicles are able to. Finally they are able to create 3-D mapping which is good for mapping terrain and also used for mines where they can be used to inspect site conditions and pit walls.
The restrictions that are currently placed on UAVs make it hard for them to be put to use for any of the beneficial ways that were talked about in the previous paragraph. Currently a certificate of authorization will only be issued to federal, state and local government agencies and restrict flying to specified areas. They may only be used during daytime VFR conditions and must stay below 400 feet AGL. They are also limited to line of site and cannot be used within five miles of an airport. These restrictions greatly limit the potential of drones and all the good they can be used for.
I do foresee UAVs being integrated into NAS. The FAA, and this country in general, has always been somewhat reluctant to accept new technologies, but will eventually come along. The FAA is already looking into how to integrate UAVs into commercial use in the next five to ten years. The FAA is planning to select six test sites to begin integrating drones into the airspace. Some problems would be the logistics of working with ATC and traffic in the air. With NEXGEN also coming around at the same time they will now have two new systems to try to integrate at once which may be an issue. Perception can also cause issues because some people may be concerned about privacy and think that drones may just be another way for the government to spy on you. Also if drones start to be used for things such as surveying or pipeline patrol it could potentially eliminate some of the pilot jobs.
The military has been using drones for a while and it has proven to be effective although they will never completely take the place of manned aircraft. The major benefit of drones it that they can be piloted in remote locations from right here in the U.S. This allows for more troops to be home rather than overseas. They can be used for surveillance and resonance effectively and even drop bombs on targets, which has changed tactics slightly but not in as big of a way as most people might think. The cost of drones is slightly cheaper than manned aircraft but I don't believe it's enough to influence decisions in a big way. Some may question if the use of drones is ethical, but is anything in war really ethical? This is an entire other subject but for now I will just say yes. It is hard for the average civilian to understand but anything that has the potential to keep your troops safe is a positive.
Although currently most of the UAV jobs are military there are still civilian jobs available. The future is looking positive for UAVs and once they are integrated into commercial use, the job market for UAV pilots and management will be wide open.
https://www.sensorsandsystems.com/dialog/perspectives/30861-what-are-the-top-ten-civilian-uses-of-drones-that-don%E2%80%99t-impin
http://jobs.uavjobbank.com/a/jobs/list/
The restrictions that are currently placed on UAVs make it hard for them to be put to use for any of the beneficial ways that were talked about in the previous paragraph. Currently a certificate of authorization will only be issued to federal, state and local government agencies and restrict flying to specified areas. They may only be used during daytime VFR conditions and must stay below 400 feet AGL. They are also limited to line of site and cannot be used within five miles of an airport. These restrictions greatly limit the potential of drones and all the good they can be used for.
I do foresee UAVs being integrated into NAS. The FAA, and this country in general, has always been somewhat reluctant to accept new technologies, but will eventually come along. The FAA is already looking into how to integrate UAVs into commercial use in the next five to ten years. The FAA is planning to select six test sites to begin integrating drones into the airspace. Some problems would be the logistics of working with ATC and traffic in the air. With NEXGEN also coming around at the same time they will now have two new systems to try to integrate at once which may be an issue. Perception can also cause issues because some people may be concerned about privacy and think that drones may just be another way for the government to spy on you. Also if drones start to be used for things such as surveying or pipeline patrol it could potentially eliminate some of the pilot jobs.
The military has been using drones for a while and it has proven to be effective although they will never completely take the place of manned aircraft. The major benefit of drones it that they can be piloted in remote locations from right here in the U.S. This allows for more troops to be home rather than overseas. They can be used for surveillance and resonance effectively and even drop bombs on targets, which has changed tactics slightly but not in as big of a way as most people might think. The cost of drones is slightly cheaper than manned aircraft but I don't believe it's enough to influence decisions in a big way. Some may question if the use of drones is ethical, but is anything in war really ethical? This is an entire other subject but for now I will just say yes. It is hard for the average civilian to understand but anything that has the potential to keep your troops safe is a positive.
Although currently most of the UAV jobs are military there are still civilian jobs available. The future is looking positive for UAVs and once they are integrated into commercial use, the job market for UAV pilots and management will be wide open.
https://www.sensorsandsystems.com/dialog/perspectives/30861-what-are-the-top-ten-civilian-uses-of-drones-that-don%E2%80%99t-impin
http://jobs.uavjobbank.com/a/jobs/list/
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