I am bored with the current .gov job

[Rich Holt]

...and I'm contemplating giving my money (the VA's money really) to another institution of higher learning. Is an M.S. in Aviation Safety worth anything in the real world? I would love to work in aviation again and I have a background running safety programs for a flight department(USN). That seems like a very small sector though. Am I missing something? Does anyone around here know anyone? TIA

 

[Bell206]

I would love to work in aviation again and I have a background running safety programs for a flight department(USN).

What particular job are you looking for? If your experience covers Safety Management Systems (SMS) then there is that route as it is now a requirement for certain operators to have an SMS in place. No clue if the MS is a requirement. Maybe network to some SMS providers or contact operators looking for SMS assistance? There is some FAA guidance on this I can look for if interested.

 

[Rich Holt]

I do have experience with a couple of SMSs. It does seem like a small community.


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[Bell206]

It does seem like a small community.

I guess it depends on how you look at it. Every Part 121 ops is required to have an SMS. And several months ago they finally posted the NPRM for requiring every other commercial ops to develop and implement an SMS program. So by next year, I would imagine every commercial operator to include Part 91K will need some sort of SMS assistance which is a pretty big community in my book.

 

[Albany Tom]

I don't know if this applies to aviation safety manager, but a friend of mine was for a time the safety director of an arsenal. He was also the environmental director, and for a time I believe the director of security, too. His background was army artillery, where he had training and experience in range safety and I believe designing ranges. Point being a safety director for a decent sized manufacturing facility wasn't a full time job by itself. No idea if that's true for aviation, could very much be apples and oranges. I do know that in other compliance fields, like parts of IT, a military background can be seen as an advantage, because you've already got experience in dealing with forms/paperwork and silly levels of detail, and in having an attention to detail. For what it's worth, he liked it and it paid pretty well.

 

[murphey]

Take a look at the job postings for the majors and see what they want for SMS staffing.

 

[Pinecone]

Not sure about the aviation side potential, but I just semi-retired from about 40 years in occupational health and safety. LOVED it. A lot of variety of things to deal with, so not boring.

Outside the aviation world at least, getting professional certification is more important than a masters. CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) or CSP (Certified Safety Professional). I am dual certified.

 

[kmacht]

It would depend on the rest of your educational and career background. A degree with no experience other than the degree is going to severely limit job opportunities no matter what the field. If you have other career or experience background that the degree would supplement then you stand a better chance. Most jobs in my field that require a MS degree also have a requirement of 7-10 years experience. They are looking for someone who worked in their field with a bachelors degree for a while before stepping up to a job that requires an advance degree. My suggestion would be to go browse some job boards and see what is out there and what you may or may not be qualified for with the degrees d your background. Pretend like you just graduated and are looking for a job. How many opportunities are there today that you would want to apply for?

 

[Rich Holt]

Not sure about the aviation side potential, but I just semi-retired from about 40 years in occupational health and safety. LOVED it. A lot of variety of things to deal with, so not boring.

Outside the aviation world at least, getting professional certification is more important than a masters. CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) or CSP (Certified Safety Professional). I am dual certified.

I conducted 2 OSHA inspections today. Good times.

 

[Pinecone]

I conducted 2 OSHA inspections today. Good times.

Do you work for OSHA, or doing them to catch things before OSHA does?

I started and spend over 15 years as a consultant, keeping client out of trouble to OSHA or MOSH.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

...and I'm contemplating giving my money (the VA's money really) to another institution of higher learning. Is an M.S. in Aviation Safety worth anything in the real world? I would love to work in aviation again and I have a background running safety programs for a flight department(USN). That seems like a very small sector though. Am I missing something? Does anyone around here know anyone? TIA

I am the Director of Safety for a company that owns a 135 operation and an FBO. I do not have a degree in aviation safety, nor would I require it for someone I hired. You already have a background running safety programs and experience with SMS, so you're already employable. I don't think you'd see a requirement for an MS in Aviation Safety until you got to the largest operators. (Caveat: I say this knowing you're already a pilot. A non-pilot would definitely require a lot more training.)

Not that the degree would hurt, but there's about to be a huge demand for aviation safety professionals thanks to the recent NPRM. We don't know what the final rule is going to look like just yet, but the main uncertainty is what's going to happen with the roughly 30% of 135 operators who are single pilot, single ship.

For the rest of us, it's pretty clear that some variation of part 5 including an SMS will be required, so any operator that doesn't already have an SMS is going to need to spin one up, and I'd imagine that there will be plenty of operators who will be looking to hire safety professionals here in pretty short order. I'd get your resume out there now. Operators will have to be Part 5 compliant no later than 24 months from the effective date of the final rule, so if you go for the degree and then look for a job, you'll be on the back side of the wave.

I guess it depends on how you look at it. Every Part 121 ops is required to have an SMS. And several months ago they finally posted the NPRM for requiring every other commercial ops to develop and implement an SMS program. So by next year, I would imagine every commercial operator to include Part 91K will need some sort of SMS assistance which is a pretty big community in my book.

Not every commercial operator. The NPRM would expand Part 5 to be applicable to Part 135 air carriers, 91.147 air tour operators, and Part 21 manufacturers.

 

[Rich Holt]

Do you work for OSHA, or doing them to catch things before OSHA does?

I started and spend over 15 years as a consultant, keeping client out of trouble to OSHA or MOSH.

No, I work for a state agency that also conducts OSHA inspections of its various facilities. I suppose you i world also be a consultant. Just one that is employed by the agency that I am consulting for. I also manage one the facilities that has to be inspected regularly. I, obviously, do not participate in those inspections.


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[Bell206]

Not every commercial operator

True. But I think you'll find once this NPRM becomes a rule the odd ops out will voluntarily adopt an SMS program just as a number of 135 operators did years ago when it was only 121. Its more an industry push than simply regulatory. Insurance companies have been offering SMS program discounts and various customers have been requiring SMS as well. Even the larger 145 ops are implementing SMS and they havde really never been part of the discussion.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

True. But I think you'll find once this NPRM becomes a rule the odd ops out will voluntarily adopt an SMS program just as a number of 135 operators did years ago when it was only 121. Its more an industry push than simply regulatory. Insurance companies have been offering SMS program discounts and various customers have been requiring SMS as well. Even the larger 145 ops are implementing SMS and they havde really never been part of the discussion.

No, 145 ops were very much part of the discussion, it even says that right in the NPRM. They only got off without it this time because the FAA feels that the impact will be greater doing the ones that the NPRM ended up being subject to. The next expansion will almost certainly include 145, so just like with 135s like us that already have an SMS, the proactive 145s have seen the writing on the wall too.

But you're right that the industry seem to have figured out that an SMS is a good thing. I got ours running about 15 months ago, and we've got well over 100 items in it and have made a lot of positive changes to our operating procedures and training program as a result.

 

[Bell206]

No, 145 ops were very much part of the discussion, it even says that right in the NPRM.

Good to know. I haven't followed SMS much in a few years like I used to. My 1st exposure to SMS was in the early 2000s and that experience provided an opportunity to be involved in several FAA programs for voluntary SMS acceptance. Of all the safety programs out there I always thought this one will actually make a difference.

 

[Pinecone]

No, I work for a state agency that also conducts OSHA inspections of its various facilities. I suppose you i world also be a consultant. Just one that is employed by the agency that I am consulting for. I also manage one the facilities that has to be inspected regularly. I, obviously, do not participate in those inspections.

OK. I just retired from the Fed Gov doing the same thing as you.