WELCOME PILOTS
I’ve been a bit perplexed with respect to the responses from youth about their respective career plans. Most of the youth are saying they want to become aeronautical engineers rather than pilots, which was the typical answer not too many years ago. You can find out why in this week’s article.
In this week’s Pilot Safety Minute video series we take a little time-out to show you a special video salute to retiring pilot Ray Edwards. I’ve had the privilege of working with Ray for several years in my job as an Aviation Safety Specialist. This video is a small token of my appreciation for his many years of service as an Executive Pilot for the State of North Carolina.
Don’t forget to take part in 1st Annual National Take Flight Day, April 12, 2014. This is our campaign to get pilots to fly on one day to show our respective communities the importance of sport aviation. Be sure to take pictures, video and write the story of your flight that can be downloaded to the WingsOfun Facebook Page. Some pilots have told me they are going to fly a Young Eagle, go on a Pilots and Paws mission, head to the beach and simply do a couple of touch and goes at their home airfield.
~TC Freeman
Aviation Speaker and Author
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NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #39 ~ SPECIAL VIDEO: RETIREMENT SALUTE TO PILOT RAY EDWARDS
Check out this neat tradition to celebrate the career of a retired pilot.
************************************************************************Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
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THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN AVIATION?
By TC FREEMAN
I do a lot of speaking to youth about careers in aviation. The cool thing about these events is having the backdrop of an active airport to further spark inspiration. I will ask each group, what type of aviation career are you interested in pursuing? The answers have changed over the years. Not too long ago the answer was, “I want to be a pilot.” As a result, mentors went on a campaign to emphasize other careers in aviation besides flying like Air Traffic Controller, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT), Airport Construction Engineer, etc. Personally, I have always been OK with the fact that flying was the draw-card into aviation and that over time these formative folks would see that aviation offers a whole host of careers. Some careers not typically considered are airport management, Information Technology (IT), Fire-Rescue, security, weather briefer and much more. I question if the youth of today are being swayed in a particular direction career-wise without much thought as to the realities of entering a job that is a good fit.
Getting back to the topic of surveying the group, I see many more youth saying they would like to be an aeronautical engineer rather than a pilot. Why? The answer is two-fold. One reason is that more schools are putting a great amount of energy into STEM, Science-Technology-Engineering and Math. Second, there is a perception that engineering is cool and pays very well. Now, let’s take a young adult that digs-in and completes a very difficult university program in the engineering area of his or her choosing. They get a job designing lavatories for some big commercial airline manufacturer as the 50th engineer in-line to pond scum. After a few years of abuse they wake up one morning asking, “Why am I doing this?” Please forgive me for being brash on this particular scenario, but there is a point.
I think going into engineering is great, and if it is in the aviation field, awesome.* However, when I ask these very intelligent youth, “Who is a member of a local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) or an Aviation Explorer Post, sadly 99% of the youth say they are not members of any such group and the majority of them have not heard of any of the organizations I mentioned. In defense of teenagers, of which I am the father of two, school takes up an extraordinary, if not ridiculous (I will delay this soapbox for another day) portion of time. If a person is going to be a good student this day and age, expert time management skills are must. Therefore, extracurricular activities are far and few between.
There was a statistic going around a few years ago that said, “85% of college graduates don’t work in the career field of their major.” While disturbing, if you ask around this seems like a reasonable statistic. Given the preceding, I think it is up to the student to search out the proper mentorship and peer groups to really get an accurate taste of what it is like to work in aviation. As pilots know, the more accurately situations can be simulated in the training environment, the better the pilot will be at handling anything that comes at him or her. We can’t put this all on the shoulders of the youth, the parents and the education system can do a better job to create the environment to make this happen. We have to ask ourselves as a society, “Why are sending youth to earn a degree in field in which they will never work?”**
*Quick disclaimer: The focus seems to be on university in this article, but I am a big supporter of trade school and other forms of education as well.
**While acknowledging the value of education in general.
About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website,www.WingsOfun.com.
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A Special Initiative by WingsOfun.com
NATIONAL TAKE FLIGHT DAY, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2014
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“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”
~TC FREEMAN
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
Stamp NOTAMS
I just received an excellent "Pilot Report" from Ramone Hemphill regarding the status of a few stamps. Typically during the kick-off to the spring flying season there will be issues popping up with regards to the stamps such as; limited hours, change of location and access to stamps. I will be making some call to see if these issues can be cleared up and will add any NOTAMS that can't be cleared up immediately.
*Hyde County (7W6) - The stamp has been moved inside. To access the building use the code 12 and the stamp is located on the corner of the desk closest to the door.
I just received an excellent "Pilot Report" from Ramone Hemphill regarding the status of a few stamps. Typically during the kick-off to the spring flying season there will be issues popping up with regards to the stamps such as; limited hours, change of location and access to stamps. I will be making some call to see if these issues can be cleared up and will add any NOTAMS that can't be cleared up immediately.
*Hyde County (7W6) - The stamp has been moved inside. To access the building use the code 12 and the stamp is located on the corner of the desk closest to the door.
*April 10, 2014 (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) Helicopter Pilot Safety Event by HAI, FAA, NCDOT Aviation, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Airport Authority Building Conference Room, 1000 Trade Drive, RDU Airport, NC (Morrisville, NC). Safety seminars, free lunch (sponsored by HAI) and career segment. Registration and details available at:http://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=54863&caller=/SPANS/events/EventList.aspx?statecd=NC
* April 12, 2014 (8:00 AM. -- 3:00 PM.) Cape Fear Wings and Wheels Fly-in (SUT), Southport, North Carolina: Cape Fear Rgnl Jetport (KSUT). For more information go to:http://flyins.com/events/view-event.html?id=6051
*April 15, 2014 (6:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) Pilot Seminar: Don't Let Stress Bring You Down. Lacy Griffin Building (Asheville, NC Airport~AVL), 1 Aviation Way, Fletcher, NC 28732. Registration and details available at: http://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=54256&caller=/SPANS/events/EventList.aspx?statecd=NC
*April 26, 2014 (9:00 AM. -- 6:00 PM.) Lexington, NC BBQ Capital Cook-off and Fly In.
Lexington, North Carolina: Davidson County Airport (KEXX). For more information go to:http://flyins.com/events/view-event.html?id=5732
* May 17, 2014 (8 a.m. – 7 p.m.) Fayetteville (FAY) Fly-in, Airport Road, Fayetteville, NC. For more information go to: http://flyins.com/events/view-event.html?id=5816
*May 17, 2014 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) IXA Wings and Wheels Fly-in. Halifax/North Hampton County Regional Airport (Roanoke Rapids, NC). Seminars, helicopter rides, Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) rides, food, camping, entertainment and more. More information available on the fly-in facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/1419097265010777/ or by phone at, 252-583-3492.
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
With the issue of sequestration, the shut-down of many Air Traffic Control Towers is a possibility. Regardless, it is important to know how to safely and efficiently operate at Non-Towered Airports. In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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NEWS FROM THE WEB
Brought to you by:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING
eBook by WingsOfun Media
* State gives grant to airport project ~ mtairynews.com
* Young pilot says stepfather inspired her to fly ~ smartbrief.com
* U.K. high school students fly home-built airplane ~ smartbrief.com
* This is an important story about the FAA proposal regarding Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA) restricted operations.
*Two of the champions of industry merge, Cessna and Beechcraft under the Textron Company.
*Winston-Salem Fun Fly-in, May 9, 2014 (2 p.m. – 6 p.m.) Coordinated by subscriber Jonathan Miller.
*The FAA introduces the new Airman's Information Manual (AIM), check it out online for free.
*WingOfun Call to Action: “Senate Acts On Third-Class Medical Exemption” (AvWeb). A quote from the article from Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, "The FAA has had two years to review this request for an exemption.....Let's get this thing moving."
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Senate-Acts-On-Third-Class-Medical-Exemption221581-1.html
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Senate-Acts-On-Third-Class-Medical-Exemption221581-1.html
Contact your elected officials in support of the “expansion of the driver’s license medical exemption to more (non-commercial) pilots. To find your senate representatives go to:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
