Ethics

Merriam-Webster defines ethics as, "a set of moral issues or aspects (such as rightness)". Ethics is straightforward across the board but can be interpreted differently depending on the topic that it is being associated with. Ethics are a big deal when it comes to professionalism within the aviation career field. Ethics in terms of aviation can be defined as doing the right thing and holding yourself and others accountable to those standards. 
 

When it comes to aviation, ethical behavior is at the forefront of all expectations. This is so important because every time a plane flies, someone's life is in danger. Whether it is commercial, recreational, or military, every individual that touches or has some role in generating a flight has full responsibility for the safety of that aircraft. This includes the pilot, maintainers, crew members, Air Traffic Control, and even the passengers.  If an individual does not have the self-accountability to do the right thing or put full effort into completing their job with 100 percent accuracy, then bad things can happen.
  

Being active-duty Air Force and working with aircraft daily, I deal with ethical behavior and moral decisions, whether it is myself or a coworker. I have witnessed a few aircraft crashes. Luckily, no lives were lost, and every pilot remained unharmed physically. Most of these aircraft crashes were usually a result of complacent maintenance or lack of accountability. By doing the right thing and preventing these negative trends, we could have greatly changed the outcome of these sorties and prevented damage to the aircraft.

 Merriam-Webster. (2019). Definition of ETHIC. Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic