Tag Archives: boeing factory

My 2016 Travel Map

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In 2016, I traveled more than 108,000 kilometers and spent more than 148 hours in the skies! Here are some of the best trips I had over the past 12 months. The ranking is not in order of best flight experience but is rather based on chronology.

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My 2016 Travel Map

1. Flying All Over America in One Day
In February, I flew for fun with my friend touching the East Coast, the West Coast and the North of the United States in less than one day. We flew from Orlando to Orlando via Atlanta, San Francisco and Minneapolis.

My ride from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Flew this type of bird (Boeing 767) between Atlanta and San Francisco and between Minneapolis and Orlando.

2. First Business Trip
In May, I flew on my first business trip just a few days after my first day as an Aircraft Programs Intern at Air Canada. I travelled from Montreal to Seattle for a week.

I got upgraded in Business Class from Toronto-Pearson to Seattle-Tacoma.

I got upgraded in Business Class from Toronto-Pearson to Seattle-Tacoma.

3. Customer Delivery Test Flight
While I was at the Boeing Everett Factory with Air Canada, I had the opportunity to fly on their brand new Boeing 777-300ER (C-FKAU) that was going to be delivered a few days later. We were only between 10 and 15 people on the plane for the flight that lasted a bit more than 2 hours.

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View from the jump seat while climbing out of Paine Field.

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The Boeing 777-300ER has a wingspan of more than 212 feet.

4. Flying on the Bombardier CSeries Before Commercial Entry Into Service
At the end of June in Montreal, I had the chance to fly on a Bombardier CS100 aircraft during a 45 minute flight for the media. The state-of the-art aircraft is very silent and offers a wide body feeling in the cabin.

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FTV5 (Flight Test Vehicle Number 5) with the SWISS livery.

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View of the CSeries wing after touchdown.

5. Flying Across the Atlantic to Ireland
After my internship was done, my family and I flew to Ireland for a week vacation.

Starter: smoked trout Niçoise said with roasted garlic aïoli.

Appetizer on the flight to Europe.

6. Weekend in California
During Labor Day weekend, I traveled to Los Angeles for a few days.

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The famous Hollywood sign.

Plane spotters love to take pictures at Los Angeles International Airport.

Plane spotters love to take pictures at Los Angeles International Airport.

7. First Time in South America
I flew to Argentina for my first time during Thanksgiving break. This trip from Florida to the Southern tip of the world required many flights.

Boeing 737-800 of Aerolineas Argentinas at Ushuaia airport, the world's southernmost airport.

Boeing 737-800 of Aerolineas Argentinas at Ushuaia airport, the world’s southernmost airport.

What were your best flying memories of 2016? Share them with us below!

Happy Flying!

Nicolas

Summer Plans

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Finals are now over for Embry-Riddle students! For some, it’s finally summer and it is time to rest and relax. For others, jobs and internships are starting in the following weeks.

In my last blog, I mentioned that I would be flying on Delta’s first Airbus A321 flight on May 2. However, the airline made a last minute equipment change and postponed the inaugural  flight. I therefore cancelled my trip to Atlanta on that day.

Last week, my friend flew down from Canada and visited me in Daytona Beach. We enjoyed the beach and warm weather before leaving Florida on Saturday to drive my car up to Canada. The drive from Daytona to Montreal is about 1,400 miles and two days of driving. The first day, we drove close to 1,000 miles and stopped for the night close to Philadelphia. The second day, we drove about seven hours to see my brother in Boston. The next day, we drove the last five hours to Canada. I was exhausted after arriving home in the late afternoon!

Photo Credits: Air Canada

Photo Credits: Air Canada

Now I barely have time to rest since I am starting a summer internship at Air Canada in Network Planning on Wednesday of this week. For the first two weeks of the internship, I will be working with the Aircraft Programs team. It is the department that buys and leases aircraft for Air Canada. After that, I will be spending the rest of my internship in Network Planning. Stay tuned all summer to learn more about my internship!

I hope everyone enjoys their summer!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@y.erau.edu

An Aviation Summer

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These past few weeks have been nothing but busy. Between my internship at the Port of Seattle, working evenings and weekends at Nike, sleep, and trying to have a social life, I have become exhausted!

Since work consumes most of my summer, I’ll update you on how it is going. This past week at the Port of Seattle I have had the opportunity to do some pretty awesome things! The center runway at Sea-Tac (16C/34C) is being replaced this summer. One day we took a bus out on the airfield to observe the construction. It amazed me how deep the concrete has to be to support all of the stress that is put on a runway. It’s about 4 feet thick of concrete! After the tour, we stopped and got out of the bus to watch planes land and take off. We ended up watching for about 10 minutes. It’s amazing to be standing only 10 feet from a runway on which a A330 is taking off!

Southwest ready to take off on 16L

Southwest ready to take off on 16L

View from the Penthouse of the Airport Office Building. Looking over the South Satellite and a Delta A330.

View from the Penthouse of the Airport Office Building. Looking over the South Satellite and a Delta A330.

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Alaska Airlines ready to take off on 16L

 

China Airlines Cargo 747 being loaded with cherries to take to China

China Airlines Cargo 747 being loaded with cherries to take to China

Later this week we were able to go tour the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at Sea-Tac. The experience was one that not many people get to have, since the towers are highly secured. From the tower we could see downtown Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains. We also got to walk on the balcony outside of the tower to take some pictures of aircraft and the airport. It was interesting to watch Air Traffic Controllers in action, instead of just hearing them over the radios.

Southbound view of Sea-Tac from the ATCT

Southbound view of Sea-Tac from the ATCT

My other job, at Nike, is a part-time seasonal job that I picked up for the summer. I have enjoyed working there more than I ever thought I would. The atmosphere and the people at Nike are amazing. I have had the chance to work in all different sections of the store, however Women’s and Kid’s Apparel is my favorite section. The only negative to working at Nike is that most of my paycheck goes back to the company, because I buy Nike shoes and apparel all the time now!!!

When I’m not at work, I try to do something that I haven’t done before. One day David and I took a trip up to Paine Field to go to the Boeing Factory Tour. It was incredible to see how big the building is!! I loved getting to see 777’s, 787’s, and 767’s being built and painted.

Standing at Paine Field with the Boeing Factory and flight line in the background.

Standing at Paine Field with the Boeing Factory and flight line in the background.

I am so happy that I have the opportunity to fill my summer with aviation. At the start of my freshman year at Riddle, I never would’ve imagined myself working at an airport, let alone the fastest growing airport in North America! It has been truly a blessing and I am looking forward to what else this summer will bring!

Until next time,

Lindsey