First, a quick disclaimer, just in case. I'm not making this post to question the value of any person's job or to start some childish pissing contests or to stir the pot. I'm just looking for ideas and comments that will, hopefully, help me understand the current and future state of the FE profession.
So, having said that, here are the facts as I have observed them (being the keen observer that I am and having too much free time on my hands...). The FE seat seems to be slowly getting eliminated in both, the civilian and military worlds. Here are same factual examples: I've recently had a tour of the C-130 "J" model - no FE and no Nav there. I've done some work on the new S92 helicopter (a civilian relative of Canada's new MH) - it has no FE for its normal passenger transport mission and it doesn't have one for its occassional SAR mission either (only a SAR tech and a medic, and it does carry a winch for that mission). In the civilian airline world, the flight deck automation and system integration has pretty much eliminated the FE seat as well, except perhaps for the older machines (e.g. 727's used by cargo companies).
Now, I know that Canada will not be getting the "J" model or anything new like that any time soon and I'm pretty sure that the Cormorant will probably always have the FE position (jumpseat and winch) but, having observed the general trend, I still have to wonder...
The truth is that I'm quite intersted in trying for the FE occupation (I'm currently a reserve Avn Tech) but I do wonder what the job will look like in the next 20 years or so...
On a related note, is any one familiar with the FE job on the Cormorant (with all the "glass" in front of the pilots, I wonder how the FE fits into that...). And no, even though I'm an Avn Tech I'm not able to just go and talk to FE's after a flight or anything like that - I' m with a "permanently detached" unit that doesn't normally deal with any Canadian a/c's (it's a long confusing story but it does make some sense).
Anyway, looking forward to your ideas/comments.
K.
So, having said that, here are the facts as I have observed them (being the keen observer that I am and having too much free time on my hands...). The FE seat seems to be slowly getting eliminated in both, the civilian and military worlds. Here are same factual examples: I've recently had a tour of the C-130 "J" model - no FE and no Nav there. I've done some work on the new S92 helicopter (a civilian relative of Canada's new MH) - it has no FE for its normal passenger transport mission and it doesn't have one for its occassional SAR mission either (only a SAR tech and a medic, and it does carry a winch for that mission). In the civilian airline world, the flight deck automation and system integration has pretty much eliminated the FE seat as well, except perhaps for the older machines (e.g. 727's used by cargo companies).
Now, I know that Canada will not be getting the "J" model or anything new like that any time soon and I'm pretty sure that the Cormorant will probably always have the FE position (jumpseat and winch) but, having observed the general trend, I still have to wonder...
The truth is that I'm quite intersted in trying for the FE occupation (I'm currently a reserve Avn Tech) but I do wonder what the job will look like in the next 20 years or so...
On a related note, is any one familiar with the FE job on the Cormorant (with all the "glass" in front of the pilots, I wonder how the FE fits into that...). And no, even though I'm an Avn Tech I'm not able to just go and talk to FE's after a flight or anything like that - I' m with a "permanently detached" unit that doesn't normally deal with any Canadian a/c's (it's a long confusing story but it does make some sense).
Anyway, looking forward to your ideas/comments.
K.