There is no other experience like flying a helicopter. No other flying machine can move up, down, right, left, and diagonal at up to 150 miles per hour. It is a one of a kind experience and some people have made it their careers or past time. If getting your helicopter license has always been a dream of yours but you don't know where to start, here are four steps when considering enrolling in a Helicopter Pilot Training Course.
1. Call your FSDO (Flight Standards District Office)
The Helicopter licensing system is a balance between federal regulations, job specific training and local training programs. Helicopter flight training cannot be a hands off education there is no online program. Being informed is the best way to help yourself and your Flight Standards District Office has the location specific information you will need.
2. Set up a fly along with your local helicopter school or airport.
We all see it in movies, special ops BlackHawk Helicopter landing under gun fire and taking off just as an explosive is going off below them or the EMT helicopter pilot rushing a dying patient to the hospital for a lifesaving operation. But in reality not many people have experienced a real helicopter flight. It could not be for everyone. Before you invest the money in a flight program, take a ride along. It will either affirm your desire to fly a helicopter or show that helicopter flight isn't for you, before you invest time and money in a training program.
3. Brainstorm what all you could use your Helicopter License for.
Is it just for personal flight and entertainment? Then a private license is all you would need. Do you want to make a career of it? Then you need a Commercial License. If becoming a helicopter pilot is the career you want to pursue, then have an idea of what field you want to go into. Helicopters are used in medical, farming, construction, executive travel, news, tours, training, education and more. While you are researching keep in mind how you would want to use your license and ask questions about what each career field can offer and what career field your geographic location supports the best.
4. Visit local helicopter training schools from the list you got from FSDO.
Set up meetings to get a feel for how each school works and which one best suits you. Make sure to jot down a couple specific questions for each school. Once the visits are done you will have plenty of information to base your decision off of.
Deciding to start in a helicopter license program is a huge and exciting step! But it shouldn't be taken without heavy research and consideration for what kind of schools, programs and job opportunities are in your area. Just like the financial commitment of going to a regular university a helicopter training program is an investment in your future.
Arielle Schmitt
http://www.helicopterlicensecenter.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arielle_Schmitt
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6618956
By Arielle Schmitt
Showing posts with label Aviation Airplanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aviation Airplanes. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Why EU Trading Scheme Is the Shortest Route to Greener Skies, For Now
This year alone, the world's airlines will chug 650 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while transporting 2.8 billion passengers and 46 million tons of cargo. The amount of fuel required to accomplish the mission will be between 210 million and 220 million tons. These are the estimates that International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEO Tony Tyler presented at the Greener Skies Conference in Hong Kong in late September.
For a fifth consecutive year, the conference gathered aviation executives, industry experts, scientists and environmentalists from around the globe to discuss and find solutions for the climate change issues that the aviation industry faces in anticipation of its inclusion into the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
But the aviation community, it seems, as was strongly reflected in the words of Tyler, cannot be more frustrated with the upcoming compliance program. According to him, the EU's "misguided determination to include international aviation in its regional emissions trading scheme" is not only ineffective, but also distractive for national governments, which could instead focus on designing a global emissions trading or compensation scheme under the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
It is estimated that a total of 2 per cent of global manmade carbon emissions each year comes from the aviation industry. In an effort to limit GHG emissions caused by air travel, as of January 1, 2012, the EU trading scheme will impose emissions caps on airlines flying into Europe. This means airlines will have to pay up for carbon credits to offset every extra ton of CO2 over their EU-imposed limit.
In the first year of the initiative, more than 900 aircraft operators will be given 85 per cent of greenhouse gas emission allowances free of charge, so they will have to purchase only 15 per cent of their carbon credits through auctioning. The amount of free carbon credits will drop to 82 per cent between 2013 and 2020.
As strongly as the aviation industry opposes EU ETS, we find it the most reasonable and coherent way to greening the skies, and here is why.
The free allowances that the airlines will receive as a result of the EU program are estimated to add up to more than €20 billion ($27 billion) over the next ten years. What is more, airlines are expected to be able to pass on the financial burden of these carbon credits to customers, improving the financial situation of the airlines. Subsequently, this will allow the struggling companies to inject more money into purchasing new, more energy efficient carriers. They can also use the resources to invest in renewable energy, which, in the long run, will help them save money from rising fuel prices.
There are, of course, skeptics, who claim that travelers will have to pay too high of a price for these EU ETS allowances. That is not necessarily the case as, at current carbon credit prices, it is estimated that the individual plane ticket will see a €2 increase per passenger each way on a transatlantic or other long-haul flight - a price drastically lower than that of most airport taxes and charges! And considering that there will be no net cost increases to airlines, we just have to ask - why are aircraft operators so unhappy with the initiative? Isn't this a win-win approach to solving air travel-related emissions at low costs to the customer while generating new revenues for the cash-strapped airlines?
Last, but not least, in the absence of an alternative comprehensive scheme, which can enforce checks and balances on GHG emissions from air travel, the EU ETS, albeit regional and far from perfect, is the only solution for now. According to Tyler, the airline industry has been doing its fair share of efforts and is setting its emission reduction goals pretty effectively so far that it doesn't need the EU babysitting and monitoring its green projects. He also explains that member states of ICAO have agreed at their last Assembly to the "principles" for an international framework employing economic measures aimed at reducing GHG emissions. In fact, there is a ready program, which will be presented for approval at the ICAO Assembly in 2013.
Unlucky for Mr. Tyler, global warming isn't based on "principles," but on lack thereof. And while some entities, ICAO included, are still discussing and designing schemes to conform to, others, like the EU ETS are very much acting on already established ones. If climate change were able to be resolved through endless debates and planning, its environmental consequences would've faded into oblivion long ago. Alas, talks and negotiations are fruitless. And while we by no means deny the airline industry's technological and economic efforts in achieving better fuel efficiency and, thus, less CO2 emissions, compliance regulations at this point can only enhance these efforts.
For the above reasons, we suggest that airline pundits reserve their criticism until after an official working ICAO framework is approved upon and put in place. Until then, the EU ETS, as the only comprehensive and overarching program in-effect, is the most effective way to unite all industries under one green umbrella, airlines included. And instead of asking for a refund before they have even tried it, airline operators should just comply. After all, it is a matter of principle that pertains to all polluters, not to a chosen few.
Carbon Investments is an information portal keeping you up to date on carbon credits - facts, trends, news and investment opportunities. The value of carbon credit investments can go up or down according to market conditions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tonka_Dobrev
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6638587
By Tonka Dobrev
For a fifth consecutive year, the conference gathered aviation executives, industry experts, scientists and environmentalists from around the globe to discuss and find solutions for the climate change issues that the aviation industry faces in anticipation of its inclusion into the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
But the aviation community, it seems, as was strongly reflected in the words of Tyler, cannot be more frustrated with the upcoming compliance program. According to him, the EU's "misguided determination to include international aviation in its regional emissions trading scheme" is not only ineffective, but also distractive for national governments, which could instead focus on designing a global emissions trading or compensation scheme under the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
It is estimated that a total of 2 per cent of global manmade carbon emissions each year comes from the aviation industry. In an effort to limit GHG emissions caused by air travel, as of January 1, 2012, the EU trading scheme will impose emissions caps on airlines flying into Europe. This means airlines will have to pay up for carbon credits to offset every extra ton of CO2 over their EU-imposed limit.
In the first year of the initiative, more than 900 aircraft operators will be given 85 per cent of greenhouse gas emission allowances free of charge, so they will have to purchase only 15 per cent of their carbon credits through auctioning. The amount of free carbon credits will drop to 82 per cent between 2013 and 2020.
As strongly as the aviation industry opposes EU ETS, we find it the most reasonable and coherent way to greening the skies, and here is why.
The free allowances that the airlines will receive as a result of the EU program are estimated to add up to more than €20 billion ($27 billion) over the next ten years. What is more, airlines are expected to be able to pass on the financial burden of these carbon credits to customers, improving the financial situation of the airlines. Subsequently, this will allow the struggling companies to inject more money into purchasing new, more energy efficient carriers. They can also use the resources to invest in renewable energy, which, in the long run, will help them save money from rising fuel prices.
There are, of course, skeptics, who claim that travelers will have to pay too high of a price for these EU ETS allowances. That is not necessarily the case as, at current carbon credit prices, it is estimated that the individual plane ticket will see a €2 increase per passenger each way on a transatlantic or other long-haul flight - a price drastically lower than that of most airport taxes and charges! And considering that there will be no net cost increases to airlines, we just have to ask - why are aircraft operators so unhappy with the initiative? Isn't this a win-win approach to solving air travel-related emissions at low costs to the customer while generating new revenues for the cash-strapped airlines?
Last, but not least, in the absence of an alternative comprehensive scheme, which can enforce checks and balances on GHG emissions from air travel, the EU ETS, albeit regional and far from perfect, is the only solution for now. According to Tyler, the airline industry has been doing its fair share of efforts and is setting its emission reduction goals pretty effectively so far that it doesn't need the EU babysitting and monitoring its green projects. He also explains that member states of ICAO have agreed at their last Assembly to the "principles" for an international framework employing economic measures aimed at reducing GHG emissions. In fact, there is a ready program, which will be presented for approval at the ICAO Assembly in 2013.
Unlucky for Mr. Tyler, global warming isn't based on "principles," but on lack thereof. And while some entities, ICAO included, are still discussing and designing schemes to conform to, others, like the EU ETS are very much acting on already established ones. If climate change were able to be resolved through endless debates and planning, its environmental consequences would've faded into oblivion long ago. Alas, talks and negotiations are fruitless. And while we by no means deny the airline industry's technological and economic efforts in achieving better fuel efficiency and, thus, less CO2 emissions, compliance regulations at this point can only enhance these efforts.
For the above reasons, we suggest that airline pundits reserve their criticism until after an official working ICAO framework is approved upon and put in place. Until then, the EU ETS, as the only comprehensive and overarching program in-effect, is the most effective way to unite all industries under one green umbrella, airlines included. And instead of asking for a refund before they have even tried it, airline operators should just comply. After all, it is a matter of principle that pertains to all polluters, not to a chosen few.
Carbon Investments is an information portal keeping you up to date on carbon credits - facts, trends, news and investment opportunities. The value of carbon credit investments can go up or down according to market conditions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tonka_Dobrev
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6638587
By Tonka Dobrev
South Africa Pioneering a Study on Mobile Phone Use in Flights
South Africa Pioneering a Study on Mobile Phone Use in Flights
The Civil Aviation Authority, the regulatory body of the aviation industry in South Africa, is reconsidering its policy banning mobile phone use in flights.
This follows an application by South African Airways, the government-owned national airline, requesting the Civil Aviation Authority to reconsider the policy which has been in place for a number of years.
The in-flight use of mobile phones has been banned in a number of other countries due to concerns that their electromagnetic signals may interfere with flight systems in the cockpit, and in particular, the flight navigation systems.
However, the data which led to these bans has been criticised as being outdated, and recent studies, including a study undertaken by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, have indicated that these concerns may be unfounded as the amount of electromagnetic interference caused by a number of modern mobile phone models is negligible.
In 2008, Emirates Airline, the national airline of Dubai and the largest airline in the Middle East, began allowing in-flight voice calls on a number of its flights. In line with this trend, Malaysia Airlines similarly allows voice calls and mobile phone text messaging in a number of its commercial flights.
South African Airways will begin a testing phase to investigate which phone models do not interfere with flight navigation systems. Meanwhile, Comair, which owns British Airways and South African low-cost carrier Kulula.com, has also announced that the Civil Aviation Authority has given it permission to allow the use of mobile phones on its flights on a trial basis, and will shortly begin trials to test the effects of mobile phone use in its flights.
1time, another low-cost airline operating in South Africa, has also started a testing phase in which it allows passengers to switch their mobile phones on after takeoff, but requires them to switch them off again before the descent for landing. Passengers taking part in these trials are requested to complete surveys at the end of the flights, in order to collect data as part of the study.
The study in South Africa will be one of the largest studies of its kind to date, and will provide data that is likely to influence the policy on in-flight mobile phone use in South Africa as well as in many other countries.
The Civil Aviation Authority has not provided an indication of when a final decision regarding in-flight voice calls and text messaging will be made.
Jonathan Peters is the content syndication manager of a leading South African travel information and booking portal, flightnetwork.co.za, which allows visitors to search for flights from the country's major airlines and book cheap flights online.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Peters
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6689738
By Johnny Peters
The Civil Aviation Authority, the regulatory body of the aviation industry in South Africa, is reconsidering its policy banning mobile phone use in flights.
This follows an application by South African Airways, the government-owned national airline, requesting the Civil Aviation Authority to reconsider the policy which has been in place for a number of years.
The in-flight use of mobile phones has been banned in a number of other countries due to concerns that their electromagnetic signals may interfere with flight systems in the cockpit, and in particular, the flight navigation systems.
However, the data which led to these bans has been criticised as being outdated, and recent studies, including a study undertaken by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, have indicated that these concerns may be unfounded as the amount of electromagnetic interference caused by a number of modern mobile phone models is negligible.
In 2008, Emirates Airline, the national airline of Dubai and the largest airline in the Middle East, began allowing in-flight voice calls on a number of its flights. In line with this trend, Malaysia Airlines similarly allows voice calls and mobile phone text messaging in a number of its commercial flights.
South African Airways will begin a testing phase to investigate which phone models do not interfere with flight navigation systems. Meanwhile, Comair, which owns British Airways and South African low-cost carrier Kulula.com, has also announced that the Civil Aviation Authority has given it permission to allow the use of mobile phones on its flights on a trial basis, and will shortly begin trials to test the effects of mobile phone use in its flights.
1time, another low-cost airline operating in South Africa, has also started a testing phase in which it allows passengers to switch their mobile phones on after takeoff, but requires them to switch them off again before the descent for landing. Passengers taking part in these trials are requested to complete surveys at the end of the flights, in order to collect data as part of the study.
The study in South Africa will be one of the largest studies of its kind to date, and will provide data that is likely to influence the policy on in-flight mobile phone use in South Africa as well as in many other countries.
The Civil Aviation Authority has not provided an indication of when a final decision regarding in-flight voice calls and text messaging will be made.
Jonathan Peters is the content syndication manager of a leading South African travel information and booking portal, flightnetwork.co.za, which allows visitors to search for flights from the country's major airlines and book cheap flights online.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Peters
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6689738
By Johnny Peters
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