Aviation Associations

One organization I intend on joining is the American Institute of  Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The purpose of the AIAA is, "to ignite and celebrate aerospace ingenuity and collaboration, and its importance to our way of life" ("About," n.d.). The organization, founded in 1963, boasts 30,000 members from various countries across the globe. In addition to advocating for global aerospace and astronautics, the group has published well over 300 books and 200,000 technical articles. The overall focus of this association is to bring the world together to discuss key topics in the aerospace industry. These topics are diverse, and cover engineering, environmental, communication, and various other technical areas of the industry. To promote these ideas, AIAA hosts various seminars and publishes various articles to spark interest and further industry discussion. They also value teachers and educators in the industry, as well as those who are on the front lines of development and innovation. Since 1972, AIAA has provided input to Congress regarding technical, economical, or other aerospace innovations to inform legislators and champion key aviation legislation ("About," n.d.).

The primary reason I am interested in the AIAA is that they are leading the aviation industry from an all encompassing perspective. Not only are they involved in global aerospace policy, but they are also involved with the actual innovators and teachers who are moving the industry forward. It is important to have a complete understanding of all aspects of the aviation industry in order to have a better picture of where it is heading and the current problems it is facing. The global perspective the association provides also widens the aerospace landscape, providing a more complete industry analysis.

Yet another aviation organization I intend on joining is the Airline Pilots Association, International (ALPA). This organization represents 52,000 pilots and 30 individual airlines, with the goal of providing airline safety, security, as well as pilot assistance, advocacy, and representation ("What," n.d.). Since 1931, ALPA has been one of the largest pilot advocacy groups in aviation. They are focused on protecting and ensuring the safety of their pilots, as well as promoting airline travel. In reality, ALPA is very well known for advocating airline safety. They frequently assist and lobby congress with various aviation topics in order to promote safety and security. They are essentially the voice of many airline pilots in the United States, carrying significant influence as a result. Most recently, ALPA boasts the refinement of pilot rest rules based on scientific evidence as one of their greatest achievements in terms of safety and professionalism ("What," n.d.).

My interest in ALPA stems from the fact that I am planning on flying for an airline within the next few months. Beyond that, I think ALPA is generally good in the industry. I believe they have good intentions, and they are promoting aviation safety with a multifaceted approach. Their large influence enables them to provide legislative pressure, which can be used to make the industry more safe and professional for all pilots. Although ALPA is a more mainstream organization, I feel that given its large influence and vast experience with safety, their ideas are important and are worth considering.

Again, it is important to belong to these organizations to understand what is happening in the aviation world. The AIAA provides an impressive perspective of the global aerospace industry, stemming beyond just the airline perspective that I will be involved with. A true professional, in my opinion, should be aware of the developments in the entire industry. At the same time, it is important to join ALPA since they are the most influential voice for airline pilots. As I will soon be an airline pilot, I feel that it is important to have an even deeper connection to the airline industry as a whole. ALPA will certinaly be advocating for legislation and ideas that will impact my life and career, which is extremely important.

References

About AIAA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aiaa.org/AboutAIAA/

What we do - ALPA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alpa.org/about-alpa/what-we-do