API In the News

The COVID-19 pandemic has required most flight departments to make changes – some of which may be permanent – to their operations, from crew pairings to aircraft cleaning to how car rentals are vetted. For aviation directors and their teams, however, the need to reimagine the value of their flight department with company leadership is possibly one of the most consequential results of the pandemic. “Things have changed in the aviation community,” said James Lara, principal of Gray Stone Advisors, a speaker on the recent NBAA News Hour webinar that examined the issue of a flight department’s value. “An aviation leader has to understand what the company’s post-COVID organization looks like, and the flight department’s reason for being. Be a fountain of ideas and suggestions.” Lara encouraged webinar participants to work with their reporting executive and identify any barriers to travel. “Additionally, take a look at your company’s aircraft use policies, because what was appropriate pre-COVID may not be appropriate anymore,” he noted. See full NBAA article here

Strategic use of social media to help in a job search, or grow one’s professional network, has taken on even greater importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many job seekers, recruiters and human resources executives working from home, social media is filling in the gaps created by the loss of in-person networking opportunities and employment intelligence normally gleaned at impromptu meetings near the company watercooler or at job fairs, workshops or conferences. Employment experts agree that LinkedIn is the go-to platform for job seekers and recruiters, as well as employed individuals wanting to expand their professional footprint. “LinkedIn is an excellent tool and every job seeker should be on it,” said Jenny Showalter, client services manager at Aviation Personnel International. Many companies have their own LinkedIn profiles, which also can be helpful to those looking for a new position, she added. See full NBAA article here

  Fortunately for job seekers and employers looking to fill a position, the COVID-19 pandemic – although responsible for much of today’s employment insecurity – comes at a time when the use of technology has been able to keep the job search and hiring process moving forward. Despite most offices being closed, and many in the business aviation industry working from home, video interviews (in addition to the more standard emails and phone calls) are successfully linking those looking for a new position with employers seeking to fill one. Ann Marie Beebout and Jenny Showalter, client services manager at Aviation Personnel International (API), agree that strategic preparation can go a long way toward a positive video interview. Some of their tips include... View the original NBAA article

Plan your 2021 expenses from salaries and flight training to maintenance and more with BCA’s annual budgeting and benchmarking tool. In this BCA article, Sheryl Barden shares her thoughts on business aviation salaries for the next year. See original article

A pandemic isn’t the only time it’s great to have a private plane at your disposal—but it certainly is one of them. The coronavirus pandemic has underscored the precious transportation capabilities that business aviation can provide during a crisis, easing times of individual suffering as well as helping to relieve community and societal stress. As Johnson’s experience three years ago demonstrated, corporate planes and their owners have been coming through repeatedly in dire times for decades, for nearly as long as CEOs have been airborne. “Corporate aviation is among the first things to respond in a crisis,” says Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International. “It’s faster than government and even faster than the Red Cross.” Read the original Plane Advantage article here

Business & Commercial Aviation Editor-In-Chief William Garvey talks with Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International (API), based in San Francisco, about the impact of COVID-19 on business aviation and the global pilot shortage. How have flight departments fared in the COVID-19 crisis? Layoffs and furloughs have been felt in FAR 135 air charter operations, but in the traditional private and business aviation flight departments they have been more of an exception, and most of those have been in departments supporting service businesses such as restaurants, casinos or hotels. But for the most part, the traditional flight departments, although grounded, remained whole and ready despite the pandemic. The value of business aviation and corporate aircraft has never been greater. This segment likely will be a critical catalyst to the resumption of business. Executives are eager to visit their employees, vendors, partners and customers. Our aviation segment has the means and wherewithal to make that happen, and in doing so help the world at large recover economically.   Want to see all Fast Five questions and answers, click to view the full article

Job security is among the top concerns right now for business aviation professionals, and with good reason. How can those people whose jobs have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis prepare for the next step, whether that’s looking for a new job or conveying the best impression at their current workplace? “I would say the first thing is to stay very engaged and very passionate about what you’re doing,” said Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International. “Find new ways to do things [and] new ways to provide value. If you can do that through innovation, there’s a lot of opportunity.” In this episode of NBAA’s Flight Plan, host Rob Finfrock speaks with:

• Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International
• Jennifer Guthrie, Founder and CEO of In-Flight Crew Connections