The Future of Commercial Aviation

Here I am at 35000 ft over the North Atlantic and wondering where our industry is headed.  Many of you are looking for a bright career with an airline and I have to wonder if it will be there, and if so for how long.  The reason I’m thinking about this issue is that United is trying to sublease our jobs to a third carrier that doesn’t even exist and the only possible reason is airline managers in the US would rather have a shell company and hire and fire employees to keep costs down.  I just left England where a refinery fired (“sacked” in England) five workers, and the details in this case really don’t matter, it’s what the remaining workers at the refinery feel and how they act that’s important.  Well the remaining workers went out on a Wildcat strike and you know what?  I bet those five get their job back! 

We in the US need to sometimes look elsewhere for inspiration, and whether it’s the French, Italians, or the English they know how to use the tools available when there has been an injustice.  I’m not sure why so many US airlines have trouble running their airline, but not many are well run. Southwest has had its problems but they seem to work through them. I can tell you that the managers at United (or most other major carriers) do not seem to do well at working through large demanding issues.   Time and time again small missteps have led to large problems, and when questions come up, the answer is “well the past is the past lets move on”.  If those of us in the flying business had the same attitude we would still be driving airplanes into rocks on a weekly basis.  We take the opportunity to learn from not just our own mistakes, but our colleagues’ mistakes.  I know most of us would just like to see an airline run efficiently and effectively, executing a business plan and adapting to change and many of our passengers would like the same. 

This is a dynamic industry that requires a solid game plan and the ability to change when the situation requires, those of us in the Air Force have always been told “flexibility is the key to air superiority”.   This is also true in the airlines. This industry has changed enormously in the last decade and it will change in the next.  Only time will tell if it’s for the better or worse. 

 

Joshua Martin                                                                                                                                                    

United Airlines

Bring Aviation to Elementary Schools

As part of The Foundation’s commitment to promote aviation careers, we’ve decided to work with disadvantaged schools in the New Jersey area initially, to educate kids about what it takes to become a pilot. We are planning to take this message to the schools beginning in September 2009. As we tried to come up with creative ideas and the best way to present the information, we discovered a New Jersey base company that creates educational materials for kids. CATAVIA KIDS was created by Teresa Villareal, an aeronautical engineer, who attended MIT, and has an impressive resume, working with Boeing for many years, she became aviation consultant before deciding she wanted to start her own company to educate kids about aviation. After we contacted Teresa, she was enthusiastic about we were doing and offered to donate copies of her Black Box CD ROM. Her award winning Black Box CD ROM teaches kids how airplanes fly, how air traffic control works, as well as the basics of flying, and recognizing different aircraft. No CD ROM would be fun for kids if it didn’t have games and prizes for completing various tasks. We are so grateful for CATAVIA KIDS sharing this technology with us.

We also discovered a great book for the really little kids called “Amelia and Emily Go for a Ride’. This children’s book is based on a flight Amelia Earhart took with Eleanor Roosevelt, a great book for inspiring young girls. There will probably always be fewer minorities and women in aviation. But what we’ve noticed in the seven years we have operated The Foundation is that we need to inspire young kids, so they realize if they are interested in becoming a pilot, they can achieve their goal, no matter what neighborhood they are from. Most pilots I have met, including my husband, knew they wanted to fly when they were really young. We want to try to make an impact as soon as we can. I want to see more minorities and women in aviation. And we need you - If you are a pilot who would like to make a difference in a child’s life - to give us a call, to help us out with our awareness program. One school visit every couple of months is all we ask. Try to remember when you were a kid how much it would have meant to have a “real pilot” come and talk to your school. It’s time to pay it forward.

US Airways Flight 1549, The Hudson Landing

I was watching some of the video recordings made by passengers on US Airways Flight 1549 (Hudson landing) and I was absolutely astonished… the electricity seemed to be working, the flaps were configured and the airplane looked like it was in a somewhat “normal” configuration. Flight 1549 was cleared for takeoff at 3:24:54. Two minutes and seven seconds later the airplane impacted a flock of birds and lost thrust on both engines. Three minutes and twenty nine seconds later the airplane touched down in the Hudson. That’s not a lot of time! Speaking from my experience flying the DC-10, there are a number of tasks that have to be completed to ditch the aircraft after takeoff. If you lose all the engines the aircraft has no source of power until the pilot places the aircraft on emergency power. This restores a limited number of instruments needed to fly the aircraft. The next issue is determining what engines you have left. Looking at the engine gauges you must assess whether they are ‘windmilling’ or if they are seized up. If the engines are not windmilling, you no longer have any hydraulic power. This means your airplane is a rock; you don’t have flight controls. Some airplanes have an Air Driven Generator (ADG) which is a small propeller that hangs down from the bottom of the aircraft. The propeller will spin in the wind and produce electricity necessary to power your auxiliary hydraulic pump. This provides just enough hydraulic power to restore flight controls. What’s next? Well, meanwhile you’re probably declaring an emergency with ATC, looking for a place to land and trying to restart an engine. You also want to start the Auxiliary Power Unit, which is an onboard generator used for backup power. You must also know and fly your best glide speed for your current weight. The gear should be up. The flaps and slats need to be configured to their normal landing position without over-tasking the hydraulic system. After all this, you probably have about 10 seconds to think about how you’re going to land the aircraft in the water with no engine thrust and minimal flight control authority.

As you can see, if you haven’t rehearsed these procedures before, its going to be even harder to do them in three minutes and thirty seconds. One thing that caught my attention during Captain Sullenberger’s interviews was his mention of the training he received which prepared him for this event. I am curious, how often do airliners practice a crash landing after takeoff in the simulator? How often is ditching discussed?

Christina Croy, KC-10 Pilot, USAF

Opportunities

What I have come to find is that success and future opportunities come from taking advantage of those opportunities that we are fortunate enough to have presented to us. Almost two years ago now, The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation presented me with an opportunity that has become the basis of my whole career path. I was interested in aviation at a young age, but having the opportunity to obtain my private pilot’s license set me on my path toward a career in aviation.

I am currently attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ and I am majoring in Aviation Business Administration with a minor in safety science. Being a pilot has opened my eyes to a lot of things and having that flight experience will help me to succeed in the industry. It has made me more knowledgeable, but more importantly, more confident. The trials and tribulations that come with being a pilot make you a stronger and a more self-assured person, and I can honestly say that the person I was when I began flying and the person I am now are very different. I still have the same aspirations and drive, but I have found that I am a much more well rounded person now. I have become more confident, I am able to handle sticky situations in flight and in life in general, much easier now; and, I am not afraid to go a little out of my comfort zone in order to open up new opportunities for myself.

So I am in college, seeking a career in aviation, but what have I done with flight since I was given the opportunity to earn my private pilot’s license? Well, since attaining my private license with the help of this great foundation, my love for flight has continued to grow more and more every day. I obviously couldn’t just stop there, I have since gone on to get my multi-engine, and instrument ratings and I am currently working on my commercial single engine rating. Right now I am still trying to build hours, so lately it has just been a lot of cross country flights for me, which is awesome. I have flown to places such as the Grand Canyon and all over Arizona, Las Vegas, and will soon be taking a flight back home to California.

So many opportunities have opened up since receiving the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation Scholarship two years ago. I don’t currently know if I will be flying commercially or working in the business side of aviation when I graduate from Embry Riddle in two years, but I do know that wherever my life takes me aviation will surely be a part of it.

Senior Year

Time has changed for all of us. With this being my senior year at Bowling Green State University, I have truly learned to appreciate the opportunities we can learn from. Throughout my life, I have came across many personal challenges and have found ways to alter my way of thinking to defeat these issues. I grew up in a family that worked hard for what they have and this has instilled in me a need to become a better leader.

When I was a freshman four years ago, I never thought flying would open up a new world of opportunity. Since I began flying, I have since loved the need for aviation in my life. I have met many interesting people, flown to many places, and have seen big and small airports…with and without fuel pumps. With these experiences, I have learned to appreciate those who have given me the opportunity to excel. The LeRoy W. Homer Foundation has afforded me this opportunity. Without their help and support, I would not have been able to experience the things I have done.

I will be graduating as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in May 2009 and I am very excited to share my experiences with others in regards to my flying. As a maintenance officer, I will fixing the world’s most sophisticated aircraft such as the F-22 and F-15 fighter aircraft. I am very lucky to have support from my family and the LeRoy W. Homer Foundation.

Ryan Wright

Past Scholarship Recipient

Opportunities in Aviation

This past year and a half has been filled with numerous opportunities and adventures accompanied by the rigorous demands of living the life of a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. With freshman year behind me, I am well on my way to pursuing my dream of becoming an officer and pilot in the United States Air Force.

Over this past summer I achieved one of my childhood dreams. In June, I drove down to Edwards AFB in southern California and received an incentive ride in an F-16 Viper. The flight consisted of taking off at full afterburners, performing a two-ship supersonic flight, achieving max Gs (9Gs) for 15 seconds, and accomplishing aerial maneuvers such as barrel-rolls, loops, and high G turns. It has always been one of my childhood dreams to fly in the same fighter jet that my father flew and needless to say actually flying in one solidified my decision to pursue it as a career.

July was an adventure in itself, spent mostly in the Colorado Rocky Mountains going through a program called Combat Survival Training (CST). During CST Air Force SERE (Survival, Escape, Resistance, Evasion) Instructors trained cadets how to survive in any environment if our aircraft was ever shot down. The three phases of the program consisted of phase one- classroom learning about how to find food, water and shelter, phase two- applying what we learned in the classroom to the outdoors, and phase three- evading from aggressor forces and being rescued. The experience showed me the risk involved with becoming a military pilot, as well as the proper way to take action if a situation does arise someday.

My love and knowledge in aviation has carried on with me through the Academy and has allowed me to become a cadet aviation soaring instructor. Essentially the soaring program at the Academy is a program that presents cadets with the opportunity to learn to fly and solo a TG-10B glider. Based on their flying performance in the glider and after being interviewed by a selection board cadets may be chosen to go on and become soaring instructor pilots, which allows them to teach others how to operate and fly gliders. It is one of the best programs the Academy has to offer and the benefit of wearing a flight suit to classes every other day to be followed by going down to the airfield isn’t a bad deal either.

This past week I traveled to Washington DC and witness the inauguration of our 44^th President and represent the Academy at a conference that consisted of 5,000 university students from all over the world. We were privileged to participate in many different lectures, express and debate our opinions on current policy topics and problems in the economy, as well as hear Al Gore, Colin Powell speak. The conference was wrapped up with attending the inauguration and an inaugural ball being hosted at the Air and Space Museum.

Looking back over the years I realize how blessed I have been in my love and pursuit of aviation. I have wanted to fly since I was a child, but it was the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation that enabled me to begin chasing my dreams and opened up a window of opportunity for me. As a cadet at the Academy I am thankful for the privilege to be taking the same steps in my aviation career as LeRoy Homer took in his. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t look at the memorial wall which his name resides on and am reminded of the sacrifices that some gave for this country. The Homer Foundation enables the hopes and dreams of today’s youth and provides a bright future for the aviation of tomorrow.

Courtney Vidt

Past scholarship recipient

Learning To Fly The Navy Way

My past few months as a commissioned Naval Officer have been a whirlwind of activity.   After graduating from the Naval Academy in May, a whirlwind trip through the Pacific on Air Force cargo jets, and a short temporary job at a fighter training squadron, I embarked on the long journey to become a Naval Aviator.

In July, I left for Pensacola, Florida, the aptly named “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” to begin Naval Flight training.  After three fantastic months of waiting in Pensacola (previously my hometown for three years) during the summer I finally classed up for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API).  API consists of six weeks: the first four weeks are focused on swimming, academics, and exams on subjects like Aerodynamics, Engines, and Weather.  The last two weeks were the fun part: survival training.  During that time we were able to do exciting things like the low-pressure chamber to simulate hypoxia and the water escape “dunkers.” 

After finishing up six weeks of training in Pensacola, I then moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to begin primary flight training.  Primary usually lasts six to nine months, depending on how quickly one progresses.  I’ve recently finished ground school and have begun studying a stack of books over a foot high.  Emergency procedures, systems, and course rules are just a few of the things I’m studying to prepare for simulators and my first block of flights in the T-34C Turbo Mentor.  With any luck, I should be finishing primary by summer and continuing on to advanced training for tailhook (carrier-based planes), helicopters, or maritime patrol.     

I’d like to think back to six years ago when I got my first real flight experience.  I wanted to become a pilot ever since I was born, but it was the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation that enabled me to complete flight training and become a civilian pilot.  The Homer Foundation provided the basis of my aviation knowledge and experience that has and will continue to help me as I progress through Naval Aviation training.  The Homer Foundation honors those who perished on the terrible events of September 11^th, continuing to inspire the hopes and dreams of lucky young aviators like myself.  I am forever grateful that I was fortunate enough to have been selected as one of the first scholarship recipients.  I hope the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation is able to continue to inspire new pilots as we enter the new year.

 

Michael Scott

Past scholarship recipient

Air Force Base Building Dedication

This past October, the Major LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Operations Building was dedicated at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. I’m thinking they’ll have to shorten that name when they refer to it - maybe Homer Ops or some kind of acronym. The military seems to like acronyms.

LeRoy was with the Reserves here from 1995 until 2000. It felt strange to be in a place where LeRoy had spent so much time, a place that was part of our lives, but I had never seen, until now.

The dedication ceremony, like every other time I have been to an event honoring LeRoy, was bittersweet. I’m proud of him, but I’m heartbroken that he’s not here. During the ceremony there was an F-16 missing man flyover formation. I had seen this once before when LeRoy and I were at his ten year Air Force Academy reunion. Even then, not knowing the pilots the flyover was honoring, I remember how powerful it was. So when I found out they were planning a missing man formation at the ceremony, I was dreading it. And when it happened, it was pretty intense.

That afternoon we were given a tour of the Air Force Museum. It is really an amazing place. There’s aircraft from every conflict in history, rockets, space capsules and a presidential aircraft exhibit. Even the gift shop was cool. I bought some astronaut ice cream. Big hit with my kids, and my parents!

LeRoy flew the C-141 throughout his entire military career. The final C-141 retired in May 2006, is on display at the Museum .This aircraft, named the Hanoi Taxi, flew the first mission of Operation Homecoming in 1973 to return American prisoners of War from North Vietnam to the US. They told us LeRoy had flown that actual C-141.

If you are interested in aviation, even a little bit, the museum is definitely worth a visit to Dayton. And if you happen to be driving past the base, you can see the Major LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Operations building from the highway.

Melodie Homer

Aviation in my life

Taking to the sky is a life changing event for many people who enjoy their first flight. Flying is a unique experience among people, for we were destined to walk the land, yet through hard work and creativity we finally were able to take in a view of the earth once seen by few. Due to the romanticism and challenges of flight, it has created a small community of aviators that immediately feels at home whenever around each other. This special group of people is willing to share their love and enjoyment of flight, and encourage paths that lead to a motivated and fulfilled life. The LeRoy Homer Foundation belongs to this special community, and gives the opportunity of a lifetime: to earn your pilots license and join the community of aviators.

I became interested in aviation at a young age. My grandfather was an Eastern Airlines mechanic, and he built a plywood aircraft in his back yard complete with old aircraft instruments. He would explain how everything worked, and I was hooked. Once in high school I read everything I could about airplanes, and obtained a manual labor job at a helicopter hangar. This was my first experience with the aviation community, and I would pick pilot’s brains and occasionally go on short maintenance flights. I desperately wanted to take flight lessons, however my family could never afford it. Then the Homer Foundation blessed me with their scholarship, and my life was forever changed. The summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school was the best in my life. I flew almost four times a week, loving every minute of it. I earned my license on my seventeenth birthday, and finally was a pilot.

Being a private pilot motivated me even more to pursue a career in aviation. Obtaining my license enabled me to get a job at my flight school, which in turn led me to meet very interesting and influential people in my life. I found that I not only enjoyed flying airplanes, but I was very interested in their design as well. I also was able to listen to a variety of “shop stories” about naval aviation, which was something I had always been interested in. This led me to study aeronautical engineering at Purdue University, and enter the Navy ROTC program. At Purdue being a pilot introduced me to several of my closest friends, as we would stay up late on the weekends talking about flying and airplanes. Having my pilot’s license has also been an enormous advantage in aeronautical engineering, enabling me to visualize aeronautical concepts through experience, rather than only a textbook. In the aeronautical engineering school I have also found that same love of flight found among pilots, and this has helped me as I struggled through long hours of studying for endless exams.

I plan to graduate next year with my degree and a naval commission, and I hope to be selected for naval aviation. None of this would have been possible without the Homer Foundation. Their scholarship motivated me and opened doors in ways I would not have thought possible. I have found what I want to do with my life, a blessed quality that has its foundations in that memorable summer when I first earned my wings. I am eternally grateful to the foundation to their generosity, and it is my ambition to one day change another teen’s life as they changed mine.

Richard Valenta

As graduation approaches…

These past four years have gone by so quick.  I can remember whenever I first started flying with the generous help from this foundation.  I feel like I have come so far from that time, but I still wonder if things will turn out okay.  Over the past few years, the aviation industry has come a long way from its downturn since the September 11th terrorist attacks.  However, recently the financial crisis and unprecedented fuel costs have once again put the industry into a downturn.  And all when I will be graduating in a few months.
Since entering the aviation industry a couple of years ago, I could definitely tell it was going to be a fun ‘rollercoaster ride’.  The industry constantly changes, but this is one of the reasons why I like it so much. It’s never boring, and new challenges emerge almost every day.  I see the changes daily while working at the local F.B.O.  Traffic has decreased significantly due to fuel prices, and there seems to be no solution.  Now, I have started thinking about the possibility of my current job closing or downsizing significantly.  I am hoping everything rebounds, and hope this is just another challenge for everyone. This should only be temporary, and things should only get better in the future.
This past summer I was fortunate to be able to do an internship with United Airlines in Washington D.C.  The experience was amazing, and helped me to notice how close I am to finally achieving my goal.  It was my plan to apply for pilot positions with regional airlines after graduation in December, but will probably have to delay this.  Almost no regional airlines are hiring, and most have already started furloughing pilots.  I feel frustrated for working so hard for four years, but have to keep in my mind that one day things will turn around.  In the meantime, I’ve started applying for airline management positions while waiting for regional airline’s to start hiring again.
I hope people realize how instrumental this foundation is to helping start careers of young aviation professionals, and I will be forever grateful to the great individuals within the foundation.  Flying has become very expensive over the past few years, and I have watched many friends stop flying due to financial strains.  I have wondered if my life might have taken the same path if it weren’t for this scholarship.  Student loans may not be enough to cover the cost of a flight course now as prices have almost doubled where I go to school.
As graduation nears, I am getting ready to embark on what I hope to be an exciting journey.  I know it will definitely be eventful, and never boring. I truly love flying, and know that any changes throughout the industry will only be obstacles to overcome!

Michael Hames,  past scholarship recipient

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