Professional Organizations

It is extremely important to network with other professionals in your industry. One way to network in your profession is to join a professional organization. Joining professional organizations you will not only help you network with professionals in your industry, but it will also make your resume stand out from others. Two professional aviation organizations that I would suggested would be Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and Airline Pilots Association (ALPA).

I am currently a member of AOPA, it provides me with great knowledge of what is currently going on in the Aviation Industry, more specifically the GA part of aviation. AOPA mission is as follows: "We protect your freedom to fly by…advocating on behalf of our members, educating pilots, non-pilots, and policy makers alike, supporting activities that ensure the long-term health of General Aviation, fighting to keep General Aviation accessible to all, and securing sufficient resources to ensure our success."

As I progress in my aviation career I would like to join ALPA. ALPA provides their members with important news about Airline Safety and Security. ALPA mission statement is "...to promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all segments of the aviation community; to represent, in both specific and general respects, the collective interests of all pilots in commercial aviation; to assist in collective bargaining activities on behalf of all pilots represented by the Association; to promote the health and welfare of the members of the Association before all governmental agencies; to be a strong, forceful advocate of the airline piloting profession, through all forms of media, and with the public at large; and to be the ultimate guardian and defender of the rights and privileges of the professional pilots who are members of the Association."

Belonging to these and other professional organizations will be assets in finding that life long career.

Flying Cheap

At the tail end of my career I would like to be a Captain for Delta Private Jets. 

Here is a Job Description for the Captain position at Delta Private Jets:

General Summary
Administratively responsible to the Chief Pilot and functionally responsible to the pilot-in-command of the assigned flight.

Responsibilities

• Must meet duty time limitations, rest requirements, be qualified, current, properly dressed, and possess all required certificates, licenses, and permits.
• Assist the pilot-in-command during all phases of flight in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Assume primary responsibility for the safety of the passengers, crewmembers, cargo, and the airplane should the pilot-in-command become incapacitated or unable to perform his/her duties.
• Have primary operational responsibility for successfully completing the customer service portions of each leg as outlined in the policies and procedures manual.
• Review thoroughly and brief the pilot-in-command specifically on all customer service items including, but not limited to passenger pick up, passenger drop off, refueling, customs, private hangar pick up/drop off, private hangar communications requirements, and passenger catering.
• Must comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations, Company Operations Manual, Operations Specifications, Standard Operating Procedures, and Company Policies and Procedures.
• Perform all assigned and implied tasks using Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles.
• Update flight and duty records, determine eligibility for the next flight assignment and ensure any aircraft maintenance discrepancies are reported to the Captain and reported in accordance with Company Policies and Procedures.
• Participate proactively in safety and quality systems by identifying, reporting and mitigating hazards and quality issues; providing timely input to management; and applying systems processes to address quality and safety issues.
• Must maintain First Class Medical.
• Must be able to freely enter and exit all international borders.
• Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned by the pilot-in-command, the Chief Pilot or higher authority.

You can read more about the Position here.

There are some safety and liability concerns with this job, such as getting adequate rest between trips and commuting long distances to catch flights.

I'd plan on to scheduling flights that would best for me, based on time amount of trips in a month. I'd also plan on living close to the airport that I am stationed at, even if that means moving away from my family and friends.

Professionalism, in my opinion, is when someone conducts their job with good judgment and in a professional, polite manner.

While watching the documentary, Flying Cheap, I noticed that Colgan exhibited a lack of professionalism. 1) The management team pressured pilots to fly while sick and/or fatigued. 2) The captain did not disclose that he failed past check rides and the management at Colgan failed to check. 3) Management, in an effort to save money, put contracted pilots in positions where they had to choose between making ends meet or facing other consequences. 4) Pilots sacrificed sleep to commute to airports because living near said airports was too expensive. 

Ways that I plan on maintaining a good level of professionalism include making sure that management does not push me into agreeing to flights that are dangerous to myself, the crew and passengers and making sure that I am not fatigued or stressed before a flight.