Flying Cheap and Professionalism Jan. 21st
1.) To me, professionalism is based upon what others think. Professionalism for me is dependent upon how many people are left satisfied with the work you have completed or the job you have done. The more people that feel you have done an excellent job, the more professional you are. Vice versa, the more people that feel as though you did a poor job, the less professional you are. Professionalism for me is not something that is set in stone. There are days where you may be more or less professional than other days.
2.) Pilots: The first officer of Colgan Air 3407 was reportedly feeling sick according to the black box recordings. However, she did not call in sick that day and decided to fly anyway. Both pilots also speared to be very tired as well. This is a direct breach of professionalism because the pilots did not adhere to the IMSAFE checklist. The lack of adequate rest and sick feelings experienced by the pilots did not leave them in a safe condition for flight. They likely breached this duty in order to make more money and head home. This fatigue is what led to the crash. According to an article on flyingmag.com, the pilots reacted improperly to a stall by pulling back on the yoke as opposed to pushing it forward (Garrison, 2010) . In addition to this according to a PBS documentary titled Flying Cheap, the pilots also retracted their landing flaps during the stall which created even less lift than they already had (PBS, 2010).
Management: When Colgan Air 3407 crashed, Colgan air was in a massive expansion phase of their fleet and had only recently acquired the Q400 aircraft. However, Colgan was still operating with the same management principles and practices it had all along well before their massive growth as a company. The management was unwilling to adjust for the added complexities that a growing business would experience. On top of that Colgan management would also frequently allow for safety breaches in flying so that the company could rake in more profits. The management was unprofessional simply because they cared more about profits than the safety of the passengers that they were flying.
3.) I do believe lack of pay played an important role in the lack of professionalism displayed at Colgan and also the crash of 3407. The lack of pay coupled with the extremely long commute times likely lead to a lack of motivation among the pilots at Colgan. The pilots were likely trying to get in and out of the regional industry as quickly as possible in order to be at a major airline making a livable wage. Taking as many flights as you possibly could to build up hours and shorten the time at the regional carriers was probably he goal of the pilots of 3407 and every hour counted towards that goal.
4.) My goals once I am flying for an operator are being the most professional I can be. One of my goals is to be as helpful as I can to fellow crew members and passengers. Being as helpful as you can be to crew members and passengers is especially important because it displays the level of professionalism you wish to establish. I also plan on showing up to work each day with a good attitude. Being in a good mood can really impact how everyone else will behave around you. Having sad or angry crew members can really impact the safety of the flight because it is harder to perform basic duties when other factors in life are distracting you.
Citations:
Garrison, P. (May 27, 2010). Aftermath: The Mystery of Colgan 3407. Retrieved from: https://www.flyingmag.com/safety/accident-investigations/aftermath-mystery-colgan-3407
The Public Broadcasting Service (February 9, 2010). Flying Cheap. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-flying-cheap/
1.) To me, professionalism is based upon what others think. Professionalism for me is dependent upon how many people are left satisfied with the work you have completed or the job you have done. The more people that feel you have done an excellent job, the more professional you are. Vice versa, the more people that feel as though you did a poor job, the less professional you are. Professionalism for me is not something that is set in stone. There are days where you may be more or less professional than other days.
2.) Pilots: The first officer of Colgan Air 3407 was reportedly feeling sick according to the black box recordings. However, she did not call in sick that day and decided to fly anyway. Both pilots also speared to be very tired as well. This is a direct breach of professionalism because the pilots did not adhere to the IMSAFE checklist. The lack of adequate rest and sick feelings experienced by the pilots did not leave them in a safe condition for flight. They likely breached this duty in order to make more money and head home. This fatigue is what led to the crash. According to an article on flyingmag.com, the pilots reacted improperly to a stall by pulling back on the yoke as opposed to pushing it forward (Garrison, 2010) . In addition to this according to a PBS documentary titled Flying Cheap, the pilots also retracted their landing flaps during the stall which created even less lift than they already had (PBS, 2010).
Management: When Colgan Air 3407 crashed, Colgan air was in a massive expansion phase of their fleet and had only recently acquired the Q400 aircraft. However, Colgan was still operating with the same management principles and practices it had all along well before their massive growth as a company. The management was unwilling to adjust for the added complexities that a growing business would experience. On top of that Colgan management would also frequently allow for safety breaches in flying so that the company could rake in more profits. The management was unprofessional simply because they cared more about profits than the safety of the passengers that they were flying.
3.) I do believe lack of pay played an important role in the lack of professionalism displayed at Colgan and also the crash of 3407. The lack of pay coupled with the extremely long commute times likely lead to a lack of motivation among the pilots at Colgan. The pilots were likely trying to get in and out of the regional industry as quickly as possible in order to be at a major airline making a livable wage. Taking as many flights as you possibly could to build up hours and shorten the time at the regional carriers was probably he goal of the pilots of 3407 and every hour counted towards that goal.
4.) My goals once I am flying for an operator are being the most professional I can be. One of my goals is to be as helpful as I can to fellow crew members and passengers. Being as helpful as you can be to crew members and passengers is especially important because it displays the level of professionalism you wish to establish. I also plan on showing up to work each day with a good attitude. Being in a good mood can really impact how everyone else will behave around you. Having sad or angry crew members can really impact the safety of the flight because it is harder to perform basic duties when other factors in life are distracting you.
Citations:
Garrison, P. (May 27, 2010). Aftermath: The Mystery of Colgan 3407. Retrieved from: https://www.flyingmag.com/safety/accident-investigations/aftermath-mystery-colgan-3407
The Public Broadcasting Service (February 9, 2010). Flying Cheap. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-flying-cheap/
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