What are the ethical dilemmas facing the aviation industry?

[faster4_tec]

OK, heres one for people to just write what they want, general rants are acceptable, although I'm trying to write an assignment so things that are real and happening would be more helpful.

so far I'm looking at....

1) extra miles flown over countries with cheaper airspace, as its cheaper to use more fuel per flight than pay airspace taxs/rights.

2) budget airlines, possibly using older technoglogies, saves cost per person, uses more fuel?

3) saftey, corners cut on passenger flights to save money, is this ethical, or do you get what you pay for?

4) increase in UK airspace taxs/cost per seat tax, does it really help, or are foriegn companies just moving in on the UK game/EU etc

5) do we really need to fly atall? holidays are unnessacery, most business trips are unnessacery what with the commuinication revolution.

6) cargo + military, why not use facilities + stuff built in country, outsourcing/importing may be cheaper to us, but more costly on the enviroment?


1 is the most likely I will follow (will follow a few, ony a 2.5k report), 6 is the least likley and would require a report + research 20k words thick



IF anybodys got any views, or stuff I've missed, please post it up.
Also looking for KEY publically available journal articles + scientific articles.

 

[Captain Mike]

ooo this is going to be a heated debate lol

 

[sludgeguts]

Ethical dilemmas facing (insert any body/group that can take money off the public without being held to account)..
How much money can I make...

There's no ethics involved BUT if the industry can make it seem they are increasing prices to benefit the environment...

 

[faster4_tec]

yeah I've read into th whole carbon offsetting thing, and it pish's me off no end.

esp companies that declare they are 'carbon neutral', like sky, basically they just spend more on their lecccy to 'ensure' their quota of lecky is being provided by a wind turbine somewhere (like the 12 they've built between my 'picturqesque village' and the mountains of the lakedistrict

they've been there since summer and not one of them has SPAN ONE CYCLE, cos they're not linked to the god damn power supply because theres no government grants to do that bit


/rant over..... feels better

 

[StevenRB45]

Is there a debate centring around if planes are fattist as some ppl can't fit in an economy seat or am I imagining it?

 

[Hellcat]

Is there a debate centring around if planes are fattist as some ppl can't fit in an economy seat or am I imagining it?

Why should I only be able to carry xKg of baggage due to 'weight' when other passengers weight 10Stone more than me?

 

[Helz]

Why should I only be able to carry xKg of baggage due to 'weight' when other passengers weight 10Stone more than me?

I have often thought there should be an overall weight limit for yourself plus your baggage but then that's probably because I'm only ickle so it would mean I could take tons of luggage

 

[faster4_tec]

would be deemed as discimination, and would get big arguments going on, boycotts and allsorts.


talking of boycotts, i'm starting 'boycott gregg's (don't worry will find a better name for it when I launch it), just fed up of overpriced, dried up flavourless tatt, wouldn't mind, but they've bought out/out priced so many local quality family bakers then fecked off

 

[Lolita]

I made the choice of not flying and holidaying in the UK only a few years back and I've had a fantastic time and seen some really beautiful parts of the UK.

I've gone from 6 or more return flights a year to maximum 1 a year and i'm pleased with myself.

Some people have tried to argue that my driving has a higher carbon footprint than flying but pumping pollution into the air at 37000ft (or whatever it is) is much more harmful.

 

[jug]

surely fat people should be allowed more baggage weight because their clothes weigh more. my t-shirts use 3 times the material of my GF's, why should i be allowed to take fewer clothes than her?

fat people should also charged more for their ticket because they make the plane use more fuel. cost of ticket should equal cost to airline, anything else is cross subsidisation which isnt fair, why should skinny people pay for the extra fuel it takes to carry the fatties.

obviously we couldnt have that, in modern society we wouldnt dare treat people differently, even though everyone is different.

to make society fair in the eyes of the hippies we all need to be treated the same, which is why i have to pay so much tax to carry the wasters, and then i have to wait in the same queue as them to see a doctor or dentist, even though i'm paying for it.

some people deserve privledges, others dont, thats fair damn it, we are not all equal.

 

[RichDoblo120]

I've always thought that on a small island like Britain, you could use sea planes for European flights. Have airports in places like the Thames estuary, then there would be less flights going over populated areas and no need to build more runways and bigger airports.
I think you'd have to use piston engined planes as I don't think jet engined planes can land on water...
edit; yes they can

 

[ChrisUK]

surely fat people should be allowed more baggage weight because their clothes weigh more. my t-shirts use 3 times the material of my GF's, why should i be allowed to take fewer clothes than her?

fat people should also charged more for their ticket because they make the plane use more fuel. cost of ticket should equal cost to airline, anything else is cross subsidisation which isnt fair, why should skinny people fat for the extra fuel it takes to carry the fatties.

obviously we couldnt have that, in modern society we wouldnt dare treat people differently, even though everyone is different.

Too right, I saw an episode of air craft crash investigations of a plane that actually crashed because over 30% of its passengers were to fat and overloaded the plane without anyone realising .

All I know a little about is military aviation . Fly low and loud is the way to go :slayer: .

 

[arseofbox]

1) extra miles flown over countries with cheaper airspace, as its cheaper to use more fuel per flight than pay airspace taxs/rights.

No idea.

2) budget airlines, possibly using older technoglogies, saves cost per person, uses more fuel?

The waiting list on new technology is frightening...aerospace stuff takes forever and a month to develop so who can blame them.

3) saftey, corners cut on passenger flights to save money, is this ethical, or do you get what you pay for?

Theres a set of statutory regualtions laid down by FAA / EASA / JAR and LOPs too that all operators must adhere to, so your core standard will be fairly flat regardless of airline. I wouldnt expect a 'high class' operator to do anything the law doesnt stipulate, nor would I expect a budget carrier to do anything extra. The impetus just isnt there as it becomes a case of risks being 'ALARP' and it all comes down to money and market pressures.

4) increase in UK airspace taxs/cost per seat tax, does it really help, or are foriegn companies just moving in on the UK game/EU etc

It doesnt matter IMO, as if people can afford to fly they will regardless of cost.

5) do we really need to fly atall? holidays are unnessacery, most business trips are unnessacery what with the commuinication revolution.

Nope, but have you ever tried to use web conferencing stuff? Its painful. Its easier some times to just go and speak to the buggers, but I support that point completely

6) cargo + military, why not use facilities + stuff built in country, outsourcing/importing may be cheaper to us, but more costly on the enviroment?

Then build standards would vary and local procedures would apply, the 3rd world would build aircraft and not have the same restrictions as the rest of us and we'de all be knackered as social irresponsibility ruled supreme.

Having said that, military generally do try to source in country or in area - look at the furore that the Pentagon's A400M order's caused!

 

[arseofbox]

I think you'd have to use piston engined planes as I don't think jet engined planes can land on water...
edit; yes they can

Theyre designed to ingest ice! and a fair quantity of it at that.

The main issue with water is flame-out or compressor surge...but mounting the engine's well out of the way so its only a spray at the inlet would probably help.

 

[The Beard]

OK, heres one for people to just write what they want, general rants are acceptable, although I'm trying to write an assignment so things that are real and happening would be more helpful.
so far I'm looking at....
1) extra miles flown over countries with cheaper airspace, as its cheaper to use more fuel per flight than pay airspace taxs/rights.
2) budget airlines, possibly using older technoglogies, saves cost per person, uses more fuel?
3) saftey, corners cut on passenger flights to save money, is this ethical, or do you get what you pay for?
4) increase in UK airspace taxs/cost per seat tax, does it really help, or are foriegn companies just moving in on the UK game/EU etc
5) do we really need to fly atall? holidays are unnessacery, most business trips are unnessacery what with the commuinication revolution.
6) cargo + military, why not use facilities + stuff built in country, outsourcing/importing may be cheaper to us, but more costly on the enviroment?
1 is the most likely I will follow (will follow a few, ony a 2.5k report), 6 is the least likley and would require a report + research 20k words thick
IF anybodys got any views, or stuff I've missed, please post it up.
Also looking for KEY publically available journal articles + scientific articles.

1) Can't really comment on this one but will be more applicable on long haul flights than local ones
2) I think there have been cases where some budget airlines used older aircraft, because that is one of the ways (2nd life) that the bigger more established airlines can afford new planes. Having said that, Ryanair is one of the airlines that started out using older planes (probably) but if you look at one of their aircraft, if it has winglets (upturned wing tips) then it is one of the newest Boeing 737s on the market. My brother is an aircraft engineer and
worked on BAe Advanced Turbo Prop short range aircraft operated by an Indonesian domestic airline. Because they were on a lease, the maintenance was included and European engineers were used.
3) Within the EU, U.S., Canada and the likes safety levels should be at the same high levels. At Manchester Airport, there have been a number of "Full Emergencies". To the best of my knowledge, I work there, these have all been on modern aircraft such as Airbus A300, A320 and A340 and Boeing 757 and 767. I can't actually remember a 737 pilot calling a full emergency, bearing in mind this is one of the oldest commercial airliners operating in the "West" and is used by (among others) Ryanair, Jet 2 and Astraeus. Recently an American Airlines 757 (or 767) carried out a "fast" landing after a hydraulic failure. No airbrakes or flaps. Only the wheel brakes were working. The pilot braked so hard it burst 3 tyres and the brakes were welded on after it stopped. Despite the problems, it still landed safely such are the failsafe systems in place.
4) Landing fees affect all airlines that use a particular country's airspace so there's no difference there, but if you think of the staff costs for an airline based in, say, the Indian sub-continent as opposed to the U.K. then there is a reduced cost base that a European airline couldn't match. On shorter international routes airlines could buy their fuel in a country with lower fuel costs but so could all the others.
5) Personal choice this one. But we're staying in this country this year.
6) Almost all military air bases in this country are too far from cities for this to be practical. Flew out of Charleston in the U.S. a few years ago which is a shared military/civil airport. You wouldn't have known it until you were on the tarmac and saw all the transports lined up. Mind you, it was annoying waiting while a U.S.A.F. aircraft practiced its landings-6 times.
Fingers are too tired to carry on (cue cheers from Forum members) but Flight International magazine and the like should provide plenty of material.

 

[faster4_tec]

some great points here! cheers guys!! just wanted to make sure some of the points I've raised (which I haven't really worded properly) are real points and not something i'm making up


reports coming along nicely now.

Just cracking down the word count is bloody hard