How sustainable is aviation?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,339
Likes: 1
From: My house
Just for the record, I have shelled out a huge sum to do my training so wether this affects me or not is irrelevent realy. I will have spent the money, shortage or no, but fantastic points guys im learning a lot.
May be a good point to bring up in interview when asked do you have any questions.....
Thnx
Merry christmas
May be a good point to bring up in interview when asked do you have any questions.....
Thnx
Merry christmas
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Australia
The way I look at it is this...
For environmental issues; burning fuel the way we do (not just pilots) cannot be solved by individuals. Big corporations and governments must deal with it.
We can of course all do our part in adding less to it, but as a job, it is a no brainer. As a pilot, I may be adding to the slowly deteriorating health of the world, but look at other professions...some cause immediate death, worsening health and so on.
As a pilot, I feel I'm adding more to the world's economy and bringing the world closer than, say, a lumberjack (just an example, please don't take offence) who is cutting down a tree to only produce maybe a few tables and chairs; and at the end probably contributed to as much demage as I did. OR, bringing food to those who need it via the fastest way instead of letting them rot in a ship that may take a few weeks or months (who incidentally also burn fuel)...
It's cost vs effect here and unless I'm flying purely for the heck of burning fuel, I don't think there is a hugh burden on my conscience as long as I know I am doing more good than bad.
For ethical issues; as long as aeroplanes are flying, and airlines (or any airceft operating company) are hiring pilots, then it is not up to pilots to say they are doing a disservice to the world.
Someone has to do the job and unless there are alternatives, pilots are using the only means there are in this world to move people and goods around the globe in the quickest and most effcient way possible.
How sure are you, if you don't become a pilot, that you will add little to the world's woe and instead help lessen it? Unless you become a hard-core environmentalist (and they are not always in the right, or use ethical solutions), there is just no way to be sure. A wall-street exec uses paper, drives to work, heats his apartment and may drive up the cost of food through other means....
So, do a job you know how to and do it well. That is all anyone could and should strive towards. On your spare time, show the world you care through other means.
Richard Branson pledged almost all of Virgin Airlines' profit for the next 10 years to solving environmental woes instead of stopping his aeroplanes from taking off. He understands that stopping flying is not a solution, it will only add to the woe in other ways.
For economical issues, there is nothing to worry about. The laws of economics will always dictate that only the more efficient methods will survive in the long run. So unless a new and better way can be found, flying aeroplane is it.
I understand that you may worry that one day fuelled-aeroplanes will not be around any more, but surely you will agree that another means of transport will have to replace it?! It will most likely be similar in nature (nuclear cessna 172? or something like that?)...and guess what...they'll require you to have some form of licence to operate it...and the transition will also likely be that pilots can convert to it first...would it then be easier or harder (costlier?) for you to get this new license? You'll be much older, with no experience but plenty of regret...
I guess the questions you have to ask yourself are: do you enjoy flying? Do you want to work as a pilot?
If your answer to both is 'yes'...then anything else is a distraction...we cannot all be hippies (I'd really want to be one, but I'll have to wait till my children are done with university...) and there is no guaranteed way to save the world without causing other problems...just live today the best way you know how...do something you enjoy and is useful to others.
Merry Christmas...
For environmental issues; burning fuel the way we do (not just pilots) cannot be solved by individuals. Big corporations and governments must deal with it.
We can of course all do our part in adding less to it, but as a job, it is a no brainer. As a pilot, I may be adding to the slowly deteriorating health of the world, but look at other professions...some cause immediate death, worsening health and so on.
As a pilot, I feel I'm adding more to the world's economy and bringing the world closer than, say, a lumberjack (just an example, please don't take offence) who is cutting down a tree to only produce maybe a few tables and chairs; and at the end probably contributed to as much demage as I did. OR, bringing food to those who need it via the fastest way instead of letting them rot in a ship that may take a few weeks or months (who incidentally also burn fuel)...
It's cost vs effect here and unless I'm flying purely for the heck of burning fuel, I don't think there is a hugh burden on my conscience as long as I know I am doing more good than bad.
For ethical issues; as long as aeroplanes are flying, and airlines (or any airceft operating company) are hiring pilots, then it is not up to pilots to say they are doing a disservice to the world.
Someone has to do the job and unless there are alternatives, pilots are using the only means there are in this world to move people and goods around the globe in the quickest and most effcient way possible.
How sure are you, if you don't become a pilot, that you will add little to the world's woe and instead help lessen it? Unless you become a hard-core environmentalist (and they are not always in the right, or use ethical solutions), there is just no way to be sure. A wall-street exec uses paper, drives to work, heats his apartment and may drive up the cost of food through other means....
So, do a job you know how to and do it well. That is all anyone could and should strive towards. On your spare time, show the world you care through other means.
Richard Branson pledged almost all of Virgin Airlines' profit for the next 10 years to solving environmental woes instead of stopping his aeroplanes from taking off. He understands that stopping flying is not a solution, it will only add to the woe in other ways.
For economical issues, there is nothing to worry about. The laws of economics will always dictate that only the more efficient methods will survive in the long run. So unless a new and better way can be found, flying aeroplane is it.
I understand that you may worry that one day fuelled-aeroplanes will not be around any more, but surely you will agree that another means of transport will have to replace it?! It will most likely be similar in nature (nuclear cessna 172? or something like that?)...and guess what...they'll require you to have some form of licence to operate it...and the transition will also likely be that pilots can convert to it first...would it then be easier or harder (costlier?) for you to get this new license? You'll be much older, with no experience but plenty of regret...
I guess the questions you have to ask yourself are: do you enjoy flying? Do you want to work as a pilot?
If your answer to both is 'yes'...then anything else is a distraction...we cannot all be hippies (I'd really want to be one, but I'll have to wait till my children are done with university...) and there is no guaranteed way to save the world without causing other problems...just live today the best way you know how...do something you enjoy and is useful to others.
Merry Christmas...
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
From: NZWN New Zealand
I have just burned 3 tons of JET A recently, in 1h30 minutes, all by myself, in a plane with 160 seats, all empty.
this was for the base training (6 landings)in airbus.
and it s REQUIRED by the JAR.
then our politicians say to all of us to save fuel and buy cheaper cars, what a bunch of hypocrites!!!
this was for the base training (6 landings)in airbus.
and it s REQUIRED by the JAR.
then our politicians say to all of us to save fuel and buy cheaper cars, what a bunch of hypocrites!!!
Another thought is if you took all the pax off a short haul 737 flight and gave them cars to drive the same distance they would produce 17 times more carbon emissions by private car for the same trip.
Aircraft actually save the planet.
As for a nuke Cessna, a bio-diesel Cessna is quite feasible and many European light aircraft now have certified diesel alternative engines.
If you really have a conscience about long distance air travel then pressure the EU parliament to bring back the CL-160 airship project with decent funding.
The CL-160 will fly 1,000 passengers 5000nm for a twentieth the fuel of a comparable 747 flight and can use bio-diesel because the airship will not reach FL350 where cold becomes an issue.
No we will not run out of jet fuel, but fossil fuel will; become increasingly unaffordable for private motoring.
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: UK
Bio-fuels (ethanol, biodiesel etc) are not a solution to prevent oil shortages. The EROEI ratio (energy returned on energy invested ratio) is less than one which means more energy has to be invested than what you get back. This is because of the fact that the efficiency of transferring energy of the sun into a liquid carrier through photosyntheses is very low (0.2-0.3 %).
But a nuke cessna sounds great !
But a nuke cessna sounds great !
