To answer the first question, President and owner of Pan American Airlines.
As for the second question, the title is fairly self explanatory but to elaborate, I have been following Pan Am's ownership history for the last 12 years or so. At one point the name sold for $1 million dollars. The love affair airline has been reduced to a training academy and there are still Pan Am memorabilia being sold under a different owner. Ideally I would buy all parts of the name, the training center, the charter service and the sellers of Pan Am logo items, get issued a Part 121 certificate, and recreate what Juan Trippe once had. I would like passengers to again be able to fly as much for the experience and joy of flying as for the utility of getting from here to there quickly and safely.
There are certainly safety concerns when operating aircraft under a Part 121 air carrier certificate. From every aspect of flight crews, airplanes, maintenance, selection of routes, selection of missions, training, ground handling and operations there are safety concerns. To ensure safety, I would strictly adhere to the FAR's, provide industry leading training for crews, keep up to date with maintenance functions and training, provide cutting edge technology in all of the aircraft to give flight crews the best possible opportunity for success in completing missions. I would allow the crews to have a voice and speak up without repercussion when safety issues arise, and actually listen to what they have to say. The crews are the front line and if they are not comfortable, we are not maximizing efficiency as industry leaders.
Professionalism is to be proficient at a skill and be able to teach that skill conscientiously to others. It is to respect others related to your industry and your customers, know when you are right, know when you are wrong and listen to corrections. Professionalism is to be diligent, forming a knowledge bank that constantly improves your skill helping you to become an expert in your field. Professionalism is to be humble remembering that no one is perfect, anyone can have an off day and when they do be there to help if they ask. Do not be forceful but do not be weak. Find the balance of power that comes with your superior knowledge of a skill or work area. Professionalism is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Professionalism is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Professionalism is doing the right thing even though there may be personal consequences such as losing a job, at least you will sleep at night. Lastly professionalism is doing the right thing when everyone else is doing wrong because it is easier and "not that big of a deal".
The video Flying Cheap pointed out many unprofessional activities. The two that stuck out the most in my mind were from management. The first was the pilot that was given the opportunity to have his on duty time reflect a 20 minute later start time. The idea was that the plane still flew, the mission would have been completed and the pilot would have been home a day sooner. This reflects a poor corporate culture of adherence to regulations. The rules are built on previous expert experience and are not there to be bent or broken. The second issue of unprofessionalism was managements scheduling and crew expectation to fly missions at nearly all cost. As pointed out in the video, some Regional Carrier contracts are based on completed flights and not the number of passengers flown. There are other unprofessional acts committed by crews in the documentary but they are isolated to bad pilots. To me management sets the stage for the promotion of safety and adherence to regulation. This is a corporate culture issue that impacts the entire operation of the Regional Carrier.
Two specific ways I can improve my professionalism will be to listen to those before me. I can learn and grow from there mistakes, I do not need to repeat them. This is having respect for the individuals that made the mistakes before me and not believing I can always do it better than them. They tried and failed, I will try another path. Another way is to continually train and grow into the position being able to change and adapt with the environment of change. It is easy to get stuck in the mind set that we will do it this way because it is the way we have always done it. I will listen to my front line individuals and adapt to change to become the best airline on the planet.
I like you definition of professionalism, I think professionalism is complex in that there is not a concrete definition of it. It's almost like it's a group of many things put together to achieve professionalism. I think it's good to grow from others mistakes and make corrective actions to prevent the same thing from happening again.
ReplyDeleteListening and learning from others and there mistakes is a great way to learn what to do and what not to do. This is a huge thing in aviation and a perfect way to expand your professionalism.
ReplyDeleteScott, I have always thought the same thing about the Pan American name. I feel that someone could successfully start up a new 121 and have immediate name recognition leading to profits with that name. How cool would it be to see that iconic airline once again take flight!
ReplyDeleteI love the Pan Am idea and agree that it has potential for success! I like how you include being humble in your definition of professionalism. I think this is such an important, if not the most important, part of the definition.
ReplyDeleteThe Pan Am name was truly ruined, and its surprising that not one person in aviation, or even outside it has considered trying to bring it back. Pan Am and TWA will always be remembered as the leaders of aviation, and unfortunately they just couldn't deal with the de-regulation changes.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wish I'd though of humble being included in professionalism. That's a real good one that I think is lost by nearly every manager in any industry, not just aviation.