ASCI 202 Blog 1-4: What Does Ethics in the Aviation Profession Mean to You?

 There are many choices that we make throughout the course of every day. Whether you know or not, these choices can all be tied to ethics in some fashion. Though some actions seem small, the impact of these choices made could be someone's breaking point. It is never the wrong time to do the right thing. To be specific to my experiences in federal contract air traffic control facilities, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) along with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) developed a program/website to promote the exchange of communication between line workers and management for safety concerns. This program is called the Air Traffic Safety Action Program or ATSAP (FAA, n.d.). This method of communication allows pilots and air traffic controllers to report, or in some cases self-report, errors or safety concerns that have occurred without fear of reprisal. The FAA uses this data to gain a fuller scope of the aviation activities and relationships between pilots and air traffic control. 

Photo Credit: Ersin Ergin/Shutterstock.com

In this industry, pilots and controllers alike must have safety on the forefront of every decision. There needs to be a mutual bond of trust between these two professions. There is an order to what seems like chaos and without trust, integrity, and ethical behavior there will be an inevitable breakdown between the two and possibly a catastrophe. We must treat each other fairly, regardless of external circumstances. To me, I have a responsibility to adhere to my training and provide aircraft with control instructions and safety alerts. Also, I have a duty a behave in the work place professionally and respectfully. I am proud of my profession. 

Luke

References 

FAA. (n.d.). Fact sheet - aviation voluntary reporting programs. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=23034


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