Ethics in Aviation

         Human factors in aviation can be defined as factors which can cause varied responses to the normal way work is done in various aviation fields specifically involving the traits that are unique to being human. Examples of human factors influencing work include poor work due to going to work tired, or forgetting important steps in the workflow. The FAA states that human factors like fatigue, complacency, and stress are very important things to monitor in the aviation maintenance industry in the AMT Handbook Addendum. (FAA ch. 14 p.1)           During long flights, aircrews need to work together as an effective team to remain vigilant and competent during all hours of the flight. Sometimes on longer, international flights, there are 2 full aircrews on board. After one crew flies the takeoff and first half of the flight, the second crew flies the second half and landing portion. This may mean that each member of the crew could h...

          Cybersecurity in aviation operations has been on more than a few's minds ever since airplanes have come to heavily rely on computers. People like Helga Munger have written about the emerging threat of system hacking and the fears of a second 9/11-type attack... except this time, they won't need to be on board the aircraft.           More realistically, cyberattacks within the airport stations that steal credit card numbers or crash systems used to give the pilots sensitive information are a scary thought for many. Airports always have very extensive layers o firewall protection and IT teams to battle this very possible thing, but you are " only as strong as your weakest link," (Munger, 2018, pg. 1).                   A possible IT failure could be detrimental to an airport. Airports hold so much Sensitive Information that criminals would love to get their hands on, so what cou...

        Electrical systems in Airplanes allow safer flight and easier workloads for pilots. The electrical systems allow fly-by-wire flight controls and receive and interpret critical information to the aircrew. A failure in this system, while not the end of the world, would require immediate attention and a confident and well-trained pilot to handle.          Your first primary source of power is your alternator or generator. Then you have voltage regulators. A loss in electricity would affect your secondary flight controls and other crucial components such as flaps, landing gear, and fuel pumps. It is important to continuously monitor you ammeters during flight so that you may spot a battery failure before it becomes too complicated to recover. You should focus on conserving electricity for the landing.           Another very serious electrical problem is electrical fires. Electrical Fires are very dangerous an...

    "The effects of encountering volcanic ash during flight."           Encountering volcanic ash in-flight has been known to have damaging effects on aircraft such as surface abrasion, and loss of pilot visibility. When ash is sucked into jet engines, it can melt and then re-solidify in cooler parts of the engine reducing the performance, and even causing engine stress.            It has been known also that volcanic ash can cause avionics and electrical equipment to fail. " Encounters of Aircraft with Volcanic Ash Clouds: A Compilation of Known Incidents, 1953-2009  documents 79 damaging  ash /aircraft encounters. Twenty-six of those involved significant to very severe aircraft damage, including nine encounters where engine failure occurred during the flight."    (Volcano Hazards Program, 2015)   Luckily, according to the NTSB , there have been no known plane crashes or fatalities recorded ...

     In the aviation profession, ethics means caring about the well-being of others and doing the right thing every time. Aviation jobs can easily become monotonous, but we all know what the right thing to do is. The morality of an aviation professional has the power to save lives because the people who are relying on you to do your job the correct way are people who don't know how to protect themselves aside from what you teach them to do in emergency situations. It is not the sole responsibility of one person to ensure that an aircraft is safe, it is the collective effort of several people in several professions that make flying safe. I believe that ethics in aviation is important because aviation professionals hold the power to save lives and keep passengers and personnel safe. There are many examples of this throughout aviation history including the famous landing in the Hudson River by "Sully". If it were not for the collective efforts of Sully, his co-pilot, and ...