Aviation Organizations
1. The two organizations I chose include
the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the National Aeronautic
Association (NAA). The IATA has been around since 1945 and was founded in
Havana, Cuba. The NAA has been around since 1905, and according to their
website, they were founded prior to the Wright Brothers even going public with
their aircraft invention.
2. The IATA’s vision is “to be the force
for value creation and innovation driving a safe, secure and profitable air
transport industry that sustainably connects and enriches our world”, with a
mission to “represent, lead, and serve the airline industry” (Vision and
Mission, 2010). In representing the airline industry, the IATA increases
awareness of the benefits of aviation as it relates to air transport for the
world economy. They fight for reasonable rules and regulation and will stand up
to regulators creating unfair law. In leading the airline industry, the IATA
has created standards over the course of 70 years. The overall goal here is to
improve efficiency, increase passenger convenience, and to simplify processes
the industry uses. In serving the airline industry, they have developed clearly
defined rules and provide support to member companies and employees (Vision and
Mission, 2010).
Being the
oldest national aviation organization in the United States and a non-profit at
that, the NAA is “dedicated to the advancement of the art, sport, and science
of aviation and space flight by fostering opportunities to participate fully in
aviation activities and by promoting public understanding of the importance of
aviation and space flight to the United States” (About NAA, 2005). They
represent all segments and are the official record-keeper of aviation in the
United States. Outside of the United States, they represent worldwide aviation
through the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, of which they are the
official United States representative. The NAA dedicates awards for those who
have demonstrated excellence in the advancement of aviation and promotes the
United States in being an aviation leader globally (About NAA, 2005).
3. It’s important for me to belong to
these associations because it displays an outgoing character in the aviation
world and one who genuinely is passionate about aviation, which most of us are.
However, if one isn’t involved in aviation associations, it’s harder to
determine how passionate and committed one really is in this field. In
addition, it allows one to have a better understanding of the world of
aviation, meet others in the field and share knowledge and experiences, and
simply enjoy being a part of a small community of enthusiasts.
4. In the search for employment
opportunities within the IATA, I found over 50 jobs in various locations
worldwide. They have mostly full-time positions, but also contract and
internship opportunities. Most positions involved some sort of leadership or
manager role, such as aviation data managers, analysts, and customer service
representatives. For the NAA, I was unable to find any employment
opportunities. The only thing found was regarding membership and types, which
included: individual, aero club, affiliate, and corporate.
References
I wasn't very familiar with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) before reading your post. Very cool that they are the oldest national aviataion organization. I think that's an excellent pick for this assignment as it seems like a well-rounded and driven association of professionals. The networking opportunities that come from membership and engagement with these aviation organizations is invaluable.
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