Plane Conversations

UAVs and the Future of Aviation: Crash and Burn or Taking Off to New Heights?

There has been a lot of discussion in the aviation industry recently regarding the imminent operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), called Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) by the FAA, in the National Airspace System (NAS) and their impact on the safety of manned aircraft operations. However, there has been little attention paid to the economic impact of UAVs on the aviation job market.

Some pilots are concerned that widespread use of UAVs will reduce the number of pilot positions that are available and do further damage to an already weak job market. There are also other considerations such as whether or not UAVs will be maintained by licensed A&P mechanics or a special UAV technician. If manned operations become unmanned, there is a popular belief that the aviation economy as a whole may be damaged.

In actuality, the fears of UAVs having a negative impact on the aviation industry are most likely unfounded. The FAA has stated that UASs are civil aircraft in accordance with 14 CFR §1.1 and are therefore required to be operated by pilots certificated under the requirements of FAR Part 61. In addition, the aircraft will also have to be maintained by FAA certified technicians. Since these regulations apply to UAVs in the same manner as manned aircraft, it is likely that demand for pilots and maintenance technicians will only increase with the introduction of UAVs into the NAS. Beyond the need for airmen, UAVs will open up new jobs for engineers, avionics technicians, flight test personnel, and communications experts. Also, many new types of aviation operations will be possible with the use of unmanned aircraft and such an expansion of aviation can only lead to a boost for the aviation industry.

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A business aircraft is a productivity tool. It is no different than any other tool we use in business to become more productive. It has a cost and it brings, or should bring, value. The value has to exceed the cost. If it does then we get a positive rate of return on the investment. If the value does not exceed cost then it is not a good investment.

All of the mainstream and social media conversations about the “extravagance” or “corporate excess” associated with the business jet play well with the anti big business crowds and populist politicians, but they lack substance. So far, these conversations have had nothing to do with the reality of what a business aircraft does to enhance the productivity of a company and its most valuable assets – its people.

The discussion about the value of business aircraft should be all about productivity. If using business aircraft increases the productivity of an organization, and the measured gain in productivity exceeds the cost, then it makes sense. Bottom line!

I just purchased an iPad. I can use this device to increase my productivity in internet research and communications or I can play games on it. How I choose to use it doesn’t make it inherently good or bad. How I use it does determine its value in my personal and business productivity.

In that way, a business jet is no different than an iPad.

Those of us in business aviation need to do a better job of first understanding, and then selling the value proposition of business aircraft as a tool to enhance productivity.

Billions of dollars have been spent in research and development of new high technology aircraft that will take us higher, faster and further on less fuel.  All the while, business aviation has invested very little in the technology to truly measure the enhancement of productivity gained by flying in a private aircraft. It is not just the time saved that we need to measure and quantify. What about the social and physiological experience of travel and its effects on human productivity and creativity?

Additionally, we should invest in the technology to learn how to better utilize the business aircraft to bring the costs down. How do we cut the inefficiencies of business aviation without reducing the experience?

An industry-wide increase in the efficient use of the business aircraft coupled with a measurable understanding of the value would do more than just silence the naysayers. More importantly, it would grow the industry that supports business aviation and bring an innovative increase in the productivity of our economy.

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The Regional Airline Association held its annual convention in Milwaukee this week. I have been to three RAA conventions over the years even though our company is not a member of RAA. The conventions I have attended were well run, and had good representation by all of the regional airlines in the US and regionals outside the US.

Of interest  to me this year at RAA was a panel discussion during the Wednesday lunch hour with the topic “Flying Above the Social Media Fray” and an events description of the discussion “How does your company rate its Social Media Score Card? Hear the aviation experts discuss the hows and whys and answer your questions.”

Among the group of four moderators was Benet Wilson with Aviation Week, (http://twitter.com/AvWeekBenet - follow her on Twitter),  who was also a moderator at last years NBAA Convention that I attended. Benet is the queen of social media in aviation and a true apostle of all things social in aviation. Benet is part of a small group of journalists and aviators who led the way for the rest of us to jump into the game.  The impact of the social media forum at NBAA has continued to reverberate through the companies in attendance of that panel discussion.

It will be interesting to see if there will be follow on development of social media in the membership of RAA. Will the top management of the airlines allow and empower their employees to use social media?

Based on the little I see from the Regional Airlines in social media space, my guess is that many of the airlines have not gotten too far into the tools of social media to communicate to their market.

Through looking at some of the Tweets from the convention I did notice that ASA, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc, now has a blog site. http://www.flyasa.com/prod/blog/. That’s a good start.  None of the other large regional airlines seem to have any social media presence at all? Am I missing something or someone?

Regional Airlines take a beating in the press and from their customers for many reasons, some may be legitimate and some not, including service and reliability issues.  These companies are missing a great opportunity to humanize their image by allowing their people to come out front in social media and talk to the people they fly. Social media is about people dealing with people – not companies dealing with companies.

If the airlines would free their people to communicate through social media, relationships would be built, problems would get solved, and maybe even innovation would happen. The rest of the business world is starting to understand this.  Maybe the airlines will figure this out?  Right now it seems they are more in a slumber state than a waking up state when it comes to social media.

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