About Nicolas

Sophomore

Aviation Business Administration

**Nicolas** – Intern with Montreal International Airport, Finance Department
**Major:** Aviation Business Administration
**Hometown:** Montreal, Canada
**Campus Involvement:** Airport Management Club, National Business Aviation Administration, International Student Programing Council and student assistant in the College of Business
**Why I chose Embry-Riddle:** Its worldwide reputation, opportunities and everyone’s love for aviation

Summer Internship: What is Network Planning?

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Nicolas

Hello everyone!

I hope you guys are enjoying your summer. It has now been three weeks since I have been working Air Canada in Network Planning as a summer intern. I will take this time to explain a bit more on what I do at work. I am part of the team that plans the flight schedule about a year before departure. We are currently planning the schedule for 2017. Below is an overview of how the schedule is handled from the time it is built to the time the flights occur for real.

Network Planning (9 months and more)
Intermediate Scheduling (9 months to 3 months)
Current Scheduling (3 months to 48 hours)
System Operations Control (48 hours to time of departure)

Network Planning makes the schedule about a year before the flight. The schedule will then be handed off to Intermediate Scheduling where they will make the flight schedule more operational. They take more components into account such as airport slots, gate availability, and much more. The schedule is then given to current scheduling around 3 months before the flight will takeoff. SOC or System Operations Control manages the schedule in real time. For example, if your flight is delayed because of a maintenance issue that cannot be fixed in a reasonable amount of time, they will be the one who will try to find an aircraft in the fleet as a replacement so the passengers can get to their final destination.

I work in Network Planning and my main job is to build the schedule for North America. We have three groups in Network Planning: North America, International, and Profitability. We closely work with other groups like Intermediate Scheduling, Aircraft Programs, and Revenue Management. When we schedule a flight, our team needs to take into consideration aircraft maintenance, aircraft turnaround time, flight connectivity at major hubs, ideal departure times, flight crew duty time, aircraft types, passenger load factor, yields, etc. These will be described in my next blog!

Route Map from Air Canada’s largest hub, Toronto-Pearson.

We fly to 205 destinations including 64 in Canada, 55 in the United States, and 86 in Europe, Africa, the Middle-East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Air Canada and its regional partners fly an average of 1,500 daily flights and operate a fleet of more than 380 mainline and regional aircraft.

Our largest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER (77W) has up to 450 seats. (Photo Credits: Jen Schulz)

Our smallest aircraft, the Beechcraft 1900D seats a maximum of 18 guests. (Photo Credits: Author)

Our smallest aircraft, the Beechcraft 1900D (BEH) seats a maximum of 18 guests. (Photo Credits: Author)

There is a lot of complexity in trying to build the best schedule we can for 1,500 daily departures. Flights do not have the same pattern for a whole year. We operate flights that are daily and some that we only fly a few times a week. Some flights operate year-round while others are only winter or summer seasonal.

We also look at past performance of the schedule to see if we should increase frequencies on certain routes or even pull back completely. We identify new markets where we could potentially grow in the future. Some of the new routes we are currently looking at are… You will have to wait until we announce new destinations!

I am proud and honored to be part of a family of 28,000 men and women who work together to bring our guests safely and on-time to their final destination.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Pre-Delivery and Test Flight of a B777

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Nicolas

MUKILTEO, WA – On Tuesday of this week, our Aircraft Programs team did a customer walk on the B777-300ER (C-FKAU, FIN 749) Air Canada is receiving next week. Our team consists of various managers, mechanics, and engineers. The customer walk is an important step because it is basically a final inspection of the aircraft before delivery.

Air Canada and Boeing inspected the aircraft for the day and looked for snags and other issues on the airplane. We had to put a piece of red tape when we snagged something on the plane. We tested the mechanical characteristics of the seats, such as recline, headrest, armrest, and tray table. The team also tested the flight attendant call button and reading light from every seats. Over 400 seats were inspected during the day!

Our Boeing 777-300ER landing at Paine Field after a successful test flight on May 18. (Photo Credits: Jennifer Schuld)

Test Flight (C1)

The next morning, I was aboard the customer test flight (C1) of the aircraft. It is the second test flight of the plane since it was built. The flight lasted around 2h45 with a touch-and-go and a go-around at Moses Lake (KMWH). The aircraft headed West of the state of Washington after takeoff from Paine Field. The Boeing 777 then followed the shoreline to the South before taking a left turn towards the East. At our cruising altitude of 39,000 feet, the pilots performed several tests on the aircraft.

Flight path of the aircraft via FlightRadar24.

Go-around at Moses Lake.

Some of the tests included the extension of the flaps and the slats close to cruising altitude. The spoilers (speed brakes) were also deployed for a short period of time.

Extension of the flaps.

Extension of the spoilers.

The landing gear was also extended during the flight. The cabin started to shake when the gear was deployed because the aircraft was flying in cruise phase at a higher speed than usual when the aircraft is about to normally land at a lower speed. The gear is the part of the aircraft that creates the most drag.

Flying over the mountains in the beautiful state of Washington.

The flight crew decompressed the cabin at an altitude of 39,000 feet with a feeling for the passengers that the cabin was pressured at 11,000, 12,000, and 13,000 feet. The cabin is usually pressurized at 8,000 feet for the comfort of the passengers. At lower cabin pressure altitudes, passengers will feel better and rested after a long flight. The Boeing 787 is pressurized at 6,000 feet, which is an improvement from the current generation of aircraft.

Blue skies ahead!

Flight deck of the Boeing 777-300ER (77W).

Flight deck of the Boeing 777-300ER during flight.

Flight line of Boeing 787s at Boeing Everett Factory.

I am now heading back home to Eastern Canada for the long weekend (Victoria Day). I am not working on Monday since our office is closed for the Holiday! Next Tuesday, I am leaving the Aircraft Programs team and I will be joining the Network Planning group for the rest of the summer. During my trip, I had the opportunity to tour one-on-one the Boeing Everett Factory! Stay tuned for an overview of the factory tour as well as my first few days in the Network Planning department.

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Aircraft Programs: Post-Delivery of a B777

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Nicolas

Last week, I started my internship at Air Canada. I am working with the Aircraft Programs team until the end of this week. Next week, I will head to the Network Planning department for the remaining of the summer.

Economy cabin of Air Canada’s Boeing 777-300ER (77W) in a high density configuration of 450 passengers, which includes 28 Business, 21 Premium Economy, and 398 Economy class seats.

I spent most of my first days in the cabin of a Boeing 777-300ER. This aircraft was just delivered from Boeing a few weeks ago. It is now sitting outside on the tarmac at a maintenance facility in Mirabel, Canada, about 30 miles from the Montreal Airport. I was shadowing an Aircraft Program Manager while he was performing his duties of post delivery. The aircraft needs to be ready soon because it will enter fly its first revenue flight next week from Toronto to Vancouver.

Flight deck of the Boeing 777.

The manager has to make sure the aircraft gets ready before entry into service (EIS). Many tests had to be completed to ensure all the systems work perfectly. All oxygen masks should drop from the overhead panel. Most of the resting was related to the inflight entertainment system (IFE). We played movies as well as the safety video. All the functions of the business class seat such as reclining were tested.

My favorite features of this aircraft are the meal order and text messaging functionality. Passengers can order drinks and meals from their own seat. There is even an option to add ice and a lemon in your glass/cup. They can also buy duty-free products aboard the airplane. Customers are also able to message their friends and relatives or any other passenger on the flight.

Passengers can order refreshments, meals, and duty free items from their personal seat.

I had the chance to pretty much explore the whole aircraft! I saw a crew rest for the first time. On the Boeing 777 there are two beds and two seats at the front of the cabin on the second floor. For the flight attendants, there are eight beds at the rear of the aircraft on the second floor.

Door to enter the rear flight attendant rest area.

Rear flight attendant rest area.

I am really happy and blessed to have the opportunity to do this. What can an Embry-Riddle student ask more than spending entire afternoons aboard an aircraft!?

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Short Trip to Seattle

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Nicolas

This week, I am in the Seattle/Tacoma area from Monday to Thursday. I will be joining the Aircraft Programs team for the inspection of our 19^th and last Boeing 777 to be delivered from Everett, Washington next week. It was the first time I was flying as a non-revenue passenger.

Beautiful sunset over the SeaTac area.

One of the perk of working as a summer intern for an airline are the travel privileges. Some airlines allow you to fly on standby on all of their flights if seats are available. Employees only have to pay taxes and other related fees. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to discover Air Canada’s network this summer since the air carrier requires its employees to work for six months before being granted flight benefits.

My first flight was from Montreal to Toronto. I then flew from Toronto to Seattle. I was upgraded on both of my flights! For the short 53-minute flight to Toronto, I was flying on an Airbus A330 featuring fully lie-flat beds. The aircraft was completely empty. Only 10 of the 37 upfront premium seats were occupied. On the second flight I was onboard an Embraer 190, the smallest mainline aircraft in our fleet.

Cheese plate and nuts offered in Business Class from Montreal to Toronto.

Chicken or pasta was served as the main course on the flight to Seattle.

Paine Field is where I will spend the next couple of days. The airport is home of Boeing where it completes the assembly of the 747s, 767s, 777s, and 787s aircraft. The Boeing 737 family of aircraft is made in Renton, WA. Our team will be inspecting the aircraft because it wants to makes sure everything works well on the aircraft before delivery. I will write a story about this exciting trip very soon.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Summer Plans

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Nicolas

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

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

It’s Almost Summer!

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Nicolas

Last Thursday was the final day of classes of the Spring 2016 semester. Friday is a study day before the first day of exams starts. The Hunt Library is providing donuts and other snacks to students in the evening in an event called “Cram With Cookies.” I have no idea why “cookies” is mentioned because they mainly serve donuts…strange.

Finals will begin on Saturday and continue from Monday to Wednesday evening. I was lucky this semester to be exempted from a few final exams. In my Airport Management class (BA 310), we did not have any quizzes nor exams throughout the semester which was fun. Instead, the professor gave us four assignments related to the airport industry, such as airport security. At the end of the semester we were assigned a large group project and a take home final exam consisting of four short essays which were quite similar to the assignments.

In my Airline-Operations class, we had a total of two exams during the semester, excluding the final. The professor would drop the lowest grade of the three exams so you didn’t have to take the final if you were satisfied with your current grade in the course.

This semester I have to take three finals: International Aviation Management (BA 426), Corporate Finance I (BA 332), and Managerial Accounting (BA 312). Like my colleague Jack mentioned in his latest story, most of the finals in the College of Business are just a regular test and are not cumulative. My only cumulative exam is in my Finance class where I will have to refresh my mind with the material we studied back in January.

This weekend, I plan to study for finals obviously and enjoy my last days in the beautiful sunny and warm weather of Florida before heading back home for the summer. On Monday, I am taking a study break as I will be flying to Atlanta to be onboard’s Delta’s inaugural passenger flight of the Airbus A321 that was just delivered over a month ago. The airline has ordered a total of 82 airframes. The first flight is scheduled to depart Atlanta (ATL) at 8:55AM and arrive at 10:19AM in Orlando (MCO). Stay tuned for a summary of the flight and some pictures!

Photo Credits: Delta

In the meantime, I wish all of the students from our Daytona Beach, Prescott, and Worldwide campus good luck on their finals. Go Eagles!

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Does your home airport use a common or exclusive use gate system?

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Nicolas

Last Thursday in my Airline-Airport Operations class, we had an interesting debate in whether or not we should favor common-use gates over exclusive leased space gates. There are many advantages and drawbacks in both cases that I will explain briefly below.

Exclusive Leased Space

In an exclusive leased space agreement, an airline will have the right to use the gate and ticket counters space in exchange it has agreed to pay a rent on the area used. For an airline that has only one scheduled flight to that airport, it might not be a plus because it will have to pay for the gate while it only uses it maybe an hour per day.

Large airlines in the United States such has Delta Air Lines might prefer the exclusive leased space even though it is more expensive. They can operate their own gates and not bother about another competitor using their gate. Airlines can also show their brand at the ticket counters, gate area, and inside the jet bridge since they basically “own” the space.

Common Use Space

At a common-use airport, airlines do not have to pay rent on the space. The airport’s gate schedule coordinator will assign each gate to the airlines. It will collect a per-use fee from the air carriers using the space. Common use airports usually have TV monitors at check-in counters and at the boarding area instead of painted walls with the airline’s brand. They can change the image of an airline in a matter of a second.

Common-use airports can generate more revenue by negotiating contracts with companies who want to show their branding around the airport. The HSBC bank branding is present in various airports worldwide.

Picture taken at around 5:30AM.

Picture taken at about 6:45AM.

The picture above on the left was taken in the morning one day last summer when I worked as an intern at the Montreal Airport in Canada. The picture on the right was taken at the same place about an hour after the first one was taken. We can see that the airport operates with common-use space.

There were four United Express’ regional jets at the gates getting ready for their morning flights back to the airline’s hub. About an hour later on that same day, we can see that those planes are gone and replaced with new Air Canada jets.

For airline ground operations, airlines usually have to move their ground vehicles around the airport to the new assigned gate for the next flight. Airports often try assign the gates to the airlines next to each other so it makes it easier for airline operations.

That’s it for this week! In my next story, I will close the 2015-16 school year and share my summer plans.

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

National Student Employee Appreciation Week

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Nicolas

Last week from April 11 to April 15 was the annual Student Employee Appreciation Week. During this week, colleges and universities all over the United States recognize the work of the student workforce on campus.

Working on campus gives students the opportunity to develop skills and to be prepared to enter the job market after graduation. Student employees perform invaluable services with enthusiasm, dedication, and initiative.

I was unaware that Embry-Riddle employs more than 1000 student workers on the Daytona Beach campus. That’s a high number!

Students could enjoy different food options throughout the week. On Monday, the student employment office offered donuts, fruits, and granola bars for breakfast. Meatball subs were available for lunch the next day and Subway subs were offered on Wednesday. On Thursday, the student community could enjoy a slice of pizza. On the last day of the week, ice cream was served in cups.

During the week, student employees were also able to select an item from an “everybody wins gift basket.” Other gifts such as hotel vouchers will be awarded to random winners this week. Student workers, don’t forget to check your email to see if you won a prize!

I have been a student employee for almost a year writing blogs for Admissions and Recruitment. I enjoy sharing some of my life events with you, the ERAU community!

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Exciting Class Projects

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Nicolas

Summer is only a few weeks away which means that projects and final exams are approaching quickly. I have three aviation-related projects due in the next two weeks. Yes, you saw the words exciting and projects go together in my title. This is probably one of the first time that I’m in school and I’m working on projects that are not boring. If you are a prospective Aviation Business student or you are just interested in the world of airports and airlines, I’m sure you will enjoy this story!

Airline-Airport Operations
The first group project is in my Airline-Airport Operations class. We have to write a report analyzing the relationship between airlines and airports. In our group, we have decided to do it on the effects of an airline merger on a hub airport. More specifically questioning if Delta Air Lines should keep Cincinnati Northern/Kentucky International Airport (CVG) as part of one of its hubs. CVG is located between Atlanta and Detroit, and many of its routes are overlapping with the two cities mentioned. In the past few years, the airline has greatly reduced the number of flights in Cincinnati. When airlines merge, it often happens that at least one of its hubs will close. For example, when Continental merged with United in 2012, Cleveland lost its status of a hub. Cleveland is located right between Newark and Chicago (two of United’s hubs), making it inefficient to operate a hub due to its close distance between the two cities.

Boeing 767-300ER of Delta Air Lines

International Aviation Management
In my International Aviation Management class, each team was assigned a different topic related to aviation operations in Europe. We have to identify potential markets for Aegean Airlines to develop. The largest airline of Greece faces competition all over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Our group focused on European ultra low-cost carriers (ULCCs). We are analyzing the markets that are currently not served by large low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, EasyJet, and Vueling. Our goal is to recommend Aegean new destinations to fly to.

Airport Management
Finally, my last project is for my Airport Management class. For this project, our class needs to determine if San Diego International Airport (Lindberg Field) should stay where it is right now or if the airport should be relocated in an area with more space.

Photo: Google Maps

As you can see from the image above, the airport is very limited in growth due to its geography. There is the interstate at the east of the airport and water and ports surrounding the south and west of the airfield. Further, there are industrial buildings and a small residential neighborhood at the north of San Diego International Airport. The airport also operates with a single runway system which limits the number of flights the airport can handle in a day. The runway length (9,400ft / 2,865m) is a factor that limits the number of international flights. In hot temperatures, aircraft require more runway length to lift off the ground than usual. With a longer runway, the airport could potentially welcome new airlines and offer more destinations to the San Diego residents.

I hope you enjoyed my brief overview of my aviation projects. Have a great week and keep in mind that summer is almost here.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Some of Last Week’s Events on Campus

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Nicolas

The third annual Business Aviation Student Association Panel Discussion was held this last week. This event was in collaboration with the Alpha Omicron Alpha Aeronautical Honor Society (AOA), the Business Eagles, and the Travelers Club. This year, the event welcomed eight industry experts of the corporate aviation world. They were there to share their experience with the students. I was the photographer for this event.

Panel Discussion in the College of Aviation Atrium

The guest speakers included:

Jim Huntoon – Director of Sales and Strategic Partnerships at Satcom Direct
Shaesta Waiz – Pilot at Dreams Soar
Mark Hogan – Test and Evaluation at Boeing
Luciano Froes – Senior VP Marketing at Embraer Executive Jets
Tyler Webb – Jet Sales at Jet Effect Inc.
Robert Freidlander – Jet Sales at Dassault Falcon Jet
Barbara Lisiewski – President at Best Jet Inc.
Peter Korns – Project Manager at NBAA

Shasta Waiz briefly talk about her upcoming solo flight around the world which will start on June 2, 2016.

Shaesta Waiz briefly talks about her upcoming solo flight around the world which will start on June 2, 2016. Click here to learn more about her journey and the Dreams Soar program.

The main purpose of this event was to increase the awareness of the business aviation industry and promote networking opportunities for the people who attended. During the panel discussion, the guests introduced themselves and described their job in the corporate aviation industry. This was followed by a short Q&A session for the audience. After the discussion, the students had the opportunity to talk to the guest speakers and exchange their business cards.

Students are discussing with Mark Hogan from Boeing.

Preview Day

Last Saturday was the annual Preview Day Weekend on campus. The new accepted students were able to spend a day on campus and learn about life as an Eagle. They were able to attend classes on Friday so they could have a glance of what to expect in a classroom. Many of them used this visit on campus to register for classes, tour the residence halls, and get their questions answered. Preview Day is a great opportunity to meet new friends before school actually starts for real. I wish I had attended it back in 2014!

I volunteered on Saturday and helped at our Business Aviation Student Association (BASA) table.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Author Archives: Nicolas

About Nicolas

Sophomore

Summer Internship: What is Network Planning?

Pre-Delivery and Test Flight of a B777

Test Flight (C1)

Aircraft Programs: Post-Delivery of a B777

Short Trip to Seattle

Summer Plans

It’s Almost Summer!

Does your home airport use a common or exclusive use gate system?

National Student Employee Appreciation Week

Exciting Class Projects

Some of Last Week’s Events on Campus

Preview Day