Why is Aviation Important?
When people think of aviation, their first thoughts are pilot, flight attendant or air traffic control. Think again!
There is so much more to this field than meets the eye. And there are more opportunities for careers than ever before.
Tourism
“Aviation is the underlying driver for tourism and aviation contributes significantly to the economy of the country,” Ashok Poduval, CEO, Massey University School of Aviation, New Zealand. He, a former pilot, continues, “Pilots think they are the key people that make the industry survive, but not really. There’s a lot that goes behind an airline. If there weren’t passengers, the airline wouldn’t fly the aircraft, because they fly the aircraft to make profits… [schools teach] a whole spectrum of activities that make an airline work.”
Trades and General Business
“People think of aviation as those who only fly the planes…it’s far more than that,” says John Murrie, Senior Tutor, Massey University School of Aviation. “For every person who’s employed in the industry, there’s at least another 10 or 12 who’s jobs have been created by that aviation activity through tourism and trade and just a general business activity that supports.”
Sam Dawson, Graduate Flight Instructor says that getting a master’s degree as a flight instructor was as a back-up to being a pilot. Since there are many medical requirements that must be maintained throughout your career, a pilot may not be something that you could do for the long term, so having something else in a career he loved was important to him.
There are many reasons to consider going into aviation and as some will attest, being the pilot may not be the only thing that keeps the industry going. Many jobs are necessary for the aviation industry, some that people would have never considered, such as psychology and airport branding.
Airport Branding
There are many things that go into the branding of an airport says Issac Henderson, Assistant Lecturer/Ph.D. Student in Aviation. With one company, such as Apple, you have one brand, one type of service and people know what they are getting. When you look at the branding of an airport, you have many different airlines, security, different food outlets, and other professions that make up the entire airport experience which can affect the overall branding of an airport.
Examining and providing case studies of the differences that are within and outside the control of the airport that completely influence people’s brand perceptions is what goes into the thought behind how to brand an airport in its entirety. If security is difficult, or food services are friendly; this determines a performance rating for the airport that can determine whether people will fly in there or not. Choosing whether to fly into LaGuardia Airport or JFK International Airport in New York City may be as simple as the price or number of parking spaces, customs or ease of getting into the city. Some may skip NY altogether and land at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
Psychology
Martina Daskova, Ph.D. in Psychology, works within the industry to monitor how people make decisions for job performance and safety. This helps airlines make policies that are effective for those who work in the industry, which ultimately help those who use those services.
Know that going into aviation is “definitely hard work, but something that if you’re really passionate about, then the hard work is going to come naturally. So, if it is something that you are passionate about, then aviation is something you’d really be interested in. Give it a go because it’s really rewarding, come out the other side of that hard smoke…and get to integrate into this industry,” Andrew Vialoux, Flight Instructor
Is aviation right for you? Consider several of the career opportunities available right here in the Triad. Let your passion soar!
