PlasticPilot.net

Many negative factors are affecting aviation, and endanger its development, ranging from bureaucracy and user fees to hardcore environmentalists. The price of fuel is rising, the new security standards make trips feel like visiting a prison.

The pilots are locked in their cockpits, any strangely behaving passenger risks to be thrown out of the plane. Service on short-haul flights is restricted to a minimum, turn-over times become shorter and shorter with each new schedules, putting crew under pressure.

In ground services, the trend for very formal and heavy safety and quality systems instead of trust to the workers is making work less and less interesting as it becomes more and more bureaucratic. New standards seems to be made to kill small and mid size companies, and any mechanic spends more time filling forms and reports than working on planes.

The green lobby is also making more pressure each day, criticizing short haul flights, and blamig aviation for global warming. The airports neighbors complain more frequently and more vigorously, even if they came well after the airports.

Even the passengers themselves sometimes try to get the whole system down, complaining when something is not just perfect, as if their lives got ruined.

Nevertheless, I’m sure aviation will never die. A few days ago, a special plane landed on the airport I’m based in. This military plane of quite an uncommon type landed, an remained here a couple of days for an airshow in the region.

When the plane approached, I got out of my office and get to the tarmac. Hopefully we’re still allowed to do that, as long as we comply with rules (yellow jacket, ID card visible, …). There were few dozens of enthusiasts here, waiting for this special landing. There were firemen, air-traffic controllers (off-duty), mechanics, fuel service, some airline pilots, handling agents, and even… some bureaucrats !

All these people were on this windy tarmac, nose up, waiting for the plane, many of them with cameras. All of them were taking a break, and spending their precious time just to look at a plane, all excited and passionated about it.

Each time I’ve got to interview a potential new hire, I get him to the tarmac while discussig professional topics. A good candidate will certainly feel excited, and look at each and every plane.

This is why I’m sure aviation will never die. There are so many passionated people in this business, ready to work with the silliest system just to continue to do the job they love !