THE GREAT DIVIDE | YOUTH IN AVIATION
By Jay Shears | January 3, 2020
STRADDLING THE GREAT DIVIDE
The important mission of integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the future masses, will likely transform aviation, as we know it. The new rule making proposals for UAS in United States airspace, introduce mandates for the remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems to address safety, national security, and law enforcement concerns. These new policies, standards and regulations will likely enable greater operational capabilities for both unmanned and manned aircraft operators. More importantly, it should create a fusion of next generation aerospace technology and opportunities that lead to new aviation careers.
There’s a saying in aviation. “The older I get – the better I used to fly”. Today, it also relates to the National Airspace System (NAS) that is older and is now challenged with the integration of new UAS mandates for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) operations through an “incremental and risk-based approach”.
THE GREAT DIVIDE
Interestingly, there also seems to be a gap between the sUAS system and the sUAS operator. It’s really both a conundrum and quite an opportunity. Small unmanned “systems” aren’t really unmanned. They still need remote operators that are highly trained and certified to operate the aircraft systems safely, along with a deep understanding of the aviation ecosystem.
Amidst this new NAS opportunity, is the aviation influencer of tomorrow. The aviation influencer is needed for the public acceptance of the mass sUAS culture, that seems inevitable for the next generation of aviation. The youth in aviation today are the next generation of UAS influencers and their “passionable” insights will be different than what could have been previously imagined.
Unfortunately today, the anticipated growth for youth in aviation has an inverse projection amongst high school and college age demographics. Simply put, the aviation industry is suffering from a severe shortage of pilots, maintenance technicians, and aviation professionals. This shortage is projected to exponentially increase over the next twenty years.
Until recently, youth in aviation has been just beyond the visual line of sight of the next generation educators, trying to prime the aviation career opportunity pipeline. These nurturing professionals have been on the reverse side of this educational curve with workaround legacy training tools to stimulate the interest in tomorrows digital aviation opportunities.
This disconnect with todays youth has morphed into a great divide between todays aviation standards and the youth setting tomorrows aviation standards, today.
I.D.E.A.
It could be said that the bridge across the great divide in aviation, will be built by the youth. However, today, the youth seem to be hearing with their brain and are quite dispassionate about the effort needed to pursue a career in aviation.
An I.D.E.A. to trigger a desire to reach for the sky, may be realized with an experiential learning emphasis that’s infused with aviation enthusiasm. This will help pump passionable insights into their heart for aviation, that hopefully can translate into a mass cultural influence for the public acceptance of UAS.
Here’s an excerpt of an experiential I.D.E.A.
(I) - Instant gratification to trigger experiential learning
(D)-Delineate aviation insights with familiar digital tools
(E)- Experiential consequences for virtual outcomes
(A)- Actionable insights for continuous improvement and social reward
OVER THE DIVIDE
Somewhere over the great divide, there’s passion awaiting the youth that pursue aviation. It’s where the mind and spirit come together, with a rush of excitement for their purpose in aviation. That purpose, pursuit and passion will build the bridge over any divide, way up high and reward the youth in aviation, with a career that they’ve dreamed of.
Jay Shears is the founder of 2TAKEFLIGHT4U that connects the dots 4U to realize your desired outcomes using aviation technology, workshops and services.
2TAKEFLIGHT4U takes the time to understand your initiative. Then, offers a wide range of customizable aviation resources to deliver results 4U.