Final Thoughts

I do have to start out by saying a few things. At the beginning of this course, we were mostly a group of novice bloggers. Seniors that dreamt of becoming world class pilots that just happened to have a knack for finding any detail about aviation (or as much as Google would allow at 11:54pm Sunday nights). After a long semester, we have seen many pages written, links used, and even stick figures explaining the EU-ETS. I can now say that this is a group of professionals. We were mere pioneers of the blogging world and now taking on any blogs that require a timely post date without breaking a sweat. It has been a fun semester!

As for me, I stated earlier in this course that I have always been driven to become a pilot. I am very fortunate to have aviation in my family and been around airplanes since the day I was born. I wish to become a professional test pilot for the experimental homebuilt aircraft. I want to see an aircraft becomes a working machine going from an idea, to paper, then to the runway, all while becoming the first person to sit at the controls. With the development of private space flight, becoming involved in that industry would be similar to those pioneering powered flight in the early twentieth century. I do not know how things are going to turn out or how they are going to change our perspectives of aviation, but I hope to be one of the first to find out. 

My actual career plans have not changed. I still strive to become a pilot for any and all aircraft I am asked to fly or test. As my years at EMU are coming to a close, I have changed the nature of my career. I hope to become an aviation professional, rather than someone so who just wants to fill a log book. Aviation is so intriguing to me because it is  one of the few industries that is always changing and evolving, and professionals that strive for a long term career must be able to adapt and change with the environment. There is something to new to learn every day during any flight.

This course has been an eye opener for myself in many regards. Many of the issues we talked about are things that we will be tackling the moment we receive our diplomas and  at our first jobs. Each topic had a realistic impact to not only our class, but each one of our individual careers. This class was very upfront and I felt that this was the most practical application of current issues within the industry that could effect everyone of us. This practical outlook allowed me to see aviation from a viewpoint similar to one out of the cockpit window rather than one in a classroom. 

The most interesting topic was NextGen. It is such as huge change that is upon us and it is exciting to see how these new technologies will change the way we fly. Technology is expanding by the day and it is very interesting to see how the engineers of this industry will adapt. The least interesting topic was EU-ETS. To me, this is a business plan rather than an environmental one. It is something that could effect me but has too much gray area for any substantial change during my career. 

The most interesting speakers would have to be the women that visited us from Detroit Air Traffic Control. It was informative to hear the perspective of those voices we always hear but face we never see. They have their priorities and we as pilots have ours and it was very interesting to hear how the two perspectives meet and work together. I learned  a great deal of information about their demanding training and selection which I found to be similar to ours. 

After graduation, I wish to continue flying and learning as much as I can about aviation. We are young, aspiring professionals in a field that requires us to be up to speed on everything pertaining to aerodynamics, regulations, current affairs, and safety, all at the same time. What other job do you know of that requires this? I wish to flight instruct and become more active in local and national organizations such as the EAA, AOPA, and the IAC. I also would like to further my experiences into aerobatic flight and air racing at some point down the road. I want to thank Ms. Wall for a great class and wish all of you unbelievable success in all careers!