The week spent with Procter & Gamble was a once-in-a- lifetime experience. To be a part of a multi-billion dollar corporation and to continuously help in fostering its development is a pride only a few can claim. Corporate Aviation isn’t just flying around the world in airplanes, it involves so much more and encompasses many highly skilled and knowledgeable people who all work together to touch and improve the lives of their consumers. This opportunity gave me a platform to educate myself on Corporate Aviation and learn about a company and operation that I hardly knew about. After coming from an internship with American Airlines I was able to compare the two types of operations side by side and they actually fall at the end the spectra, with quite a lot of differences.
The program started out with the other intern, Michael and I going to a Cincinnati Reds vs. San Diego Padres ball game, accompanied by the Chief Pilot Global Flight Operations P&G, Captain Skip Margraf and Program Coordinator, Captain Dave Brown. It was a great experience and the Reds dominated with 7 home runs. It gave us an opportunity to relax and become comfortable with Cincinnati life before we began our sessions at the Hangar.
The next day started early as we headed to the Global Flight Operations (GFO) for a tour of the Hangar with Mike Pecore. It was quite a thrill and the operations there are quite extensive with highly technlogized systems, techniques and equipment. I was highly impressed by the systems and state-of-the-art equipment that GFO employs at their Hangar. Later that day we spent time learning about the aircraft and their avionics. We went through the checklist of the G-4 and G-550. This gave us the ability to learn where the buttons are and we got to program the FMC of the G-4. The procedures were a little different from the airlines but still encompassed the same things. Things I have never seen before were the FLIR- Forward Looking Infer-Red, SVS- Synthetic Vision System and very highly technologically advanced airplanes. The late afternoons and evenings of every day were allotted for us to explore Cincinnati and it is a beautiful city.
Monday morning led us to the General Operations Building (GO). It was a complex and huge group of building with a labyrinth below the surface. We got a tour of GO, which was impressive. P&G savors innovation and progression and it was quite obvious during the tour. Later that day after the tour we met with Skip Margraf, Chief Pilot, and Steve Ripley, Director GFO. Through these interactions I was able to get a better insight into GFO and how it helps P&G surge forward and foray into being the top brand company in the world. In the afternoon, we got to assist in the trip planning for the following day. We were actually going to be on the flight in the jump seat observing.
The next day was one of the highlights of the internship. I got to fly in the jump seat of the G-4 from KLUK- KILG and it was fun to see the operations and professionalism of the crew. We were taking the CTO and a few others to meeting in ILG. During the flight we chatted about Pilot Duties and Responsibilities, had lunch and then on the way back I sat in the cabin and chatted with Bruce Brown, Chief Technology Office P&G.
Wednesday brought a new day with more exciting things to do. We attended the Weekly Hangar Meeting and then chatted with John Hampton, Scheduling Manager. We got an insight as to how scheduling operates and how they have to manage their resources along with the needs of the company. New things that I learned were FOS, Rockwell-Collins flight plan program and the statistics that were generated. We then spent some time with Dennis Daley, Aircraft Maintenance Department Manager and Dave Melk, Chief Inspector/ Aviation Materials Manager. Maintenance was so much fun and quite a learning experience but it is a lot of work to fathom, along with all the paperwork and record keeping. Discussion topics were the repair station, inspection authorization, training, Cabin Safety Attendants, technician requirements and RVSM requirements. In the afternoon we met with Diane Wingate, Financial Coordinator, who gave us a brief overview of the budget, assets, expenses, purchase orders and a budget analysis.
The following day was really fun, as we started out chatting with Captain Gary Hebbard from the Pilot Training Department. It was a great opportunity to pick his brain and see how training is done and the difference from that to the airlines since I had just come from AA. We talked about the evolved training needs with company development, different training due to pilot qualifications, duties and responsibilities, training flights and special emphasis areas such as breaking, landing, CRM, flight practices and techniques- callouts, taxiing, windshear recovery, mach technique climb, single-engine operations and cockpit communication. I was thoroughly impressed and wished we had more time with him as all that we talked about was of a lot of interest to me. After meeting with Gary, we spent a few hours with Captain Ken Robinson learning about international flight planning and procedures. We planned from KLUK-KLBG and then South America Operations. I learned things that I wouldn’t have in class due to the nature of their flying and the decisions that needs to be made as per Part 91 Operations. It was a great learning experience.
Later that day, we hung out with Todd Hillsgrove, Assistant Chief Pilot and Safety Officer. We discussed the development of the Safety Program at GFO, ARG/US- PRISM, Safety Management Systems (SMS), safety training elements, reports and risk management and the AAI- Go Team. Having a little background in safety made this portion interesting to me as well. Todd is a wealth of knowledge and a great person. Concluding the day was a little chat with the present intern, Saul Meza. He gave us an insight into his projects and experiences at P&G. He enlightened us on life in Cincinnati and being involved in the company. It was definitely an eye opener and very informative. 
Later that night Michael and I were very fortunate to go the Western & Southern Open Tennis Tournament. We got to see the match between Roger Federer and James Blake and I never thought I would be about 30 feet away from these two world top players. We also got front row seating to watch the Janckovic and Schiavone match and was about 10 feet away from the players. It was amazing!
Friday was the last day and I was a little sad that the experience was coming to an end. We just rapped up, did evaluations and then spoke with Captain Dave Brown about the road to Corporate Aviation. There are many turns and diversions in the life of a pilot and you never know where it may take you and what the outcomes may be but you know that you want to fly. The presentation showed us what we need to achieve and the goals we need to set to get into this industry. This week has been a great one that has helped me to figure out where I want to go and do with my life. Who knows, I may end up at P&G or the airlines but I am now more informed as to what both sections has to offer and what I can do to improve and progress the companies that I am involved in.
My summer has now come to an end and it was a great one. I have experienced, learned and seen so much. Thanks you all for reading the journal entries and seeing what the internships are like coming from an ERAU background.
Let’s go Eagles!
Hey everybody! I hope all is well with you. I am doing great here enjoying the last few weeks of summer. It’s hard to believe that the summer is winding to a close. The incoming freshmen are just a few days away from starting their Embry-Riddle adventures, and I have about 2 weeks until I return to Daytona Beach. It is an exciting time of year for sure and definitely nerve-wracking for many new freshmen. If you are about to start at Riddle, I highly recommend you join the Facebook page for the class if you have not done so already. Almost ¾ of your class is on there and it is a great way to ask questions and get to know each other.
Every step of the way during this process, there are people around to help you. From physically moving into your dorm to getting to know your way around campus, people are looking to help. Don’t be afraid to ask upperclassmen for anything you might need. Embry-Riddle is a close community and everyone wants everyone else to feel as comfortable as possible.
Other than work, I flew the other day with a friend of mine from Embry-Riddle who lives in the area. We wanted to just fly to a destination for lunch and opted for a quick flight to Block Island. We took the only G1000 equipped Cessna in the state (the same type of aircraft that Embry-Riddle flies) and had a great time. It will be nice to head back to Florida though and start flying down there again. We always find good trips to go on over the weekends and I would suggest that you all take advantage of that freedom to fly with friends while you are at school. You can create some great memories this way.
So, since I last checked in with you all I’ve been back on the road traveling the east coast. Earlier this month we traveled up to York, PA to pick up some vintage Buicks and bring them back down to Maryland. I always have a blast traveling up to the restoration shops to either drop off or load up cars because of the history I learn from the guys/gals at the shops. The shop we visited in Glen Rock, PA – Prueitt Auto Restorations, had vehicles ranging from the early ‘20’s up to the 60’s and 70’s and with each car came the history behind each. He had plenty of neat cars sitting inside the restoration area but a 1925 Buick that they are doing a stellar restoration on. From the paint to the immaculate interior the car is going to clean up at car shows once it is finished. Like I said, it was a great trip… we loaded up the 1931 and 1941 Buick’s and headed home.
The local Buick/Olds car club hosted an All GM show and we took the 1987 Buick GNX. Some friends also showed vehicles including a 1949 Buick and a 1976 Trans Am both of which are amazing examples. The weather was hit-and-miss all day but we had a great time showing the car and talking with others in the hobby that had never seen a GNX before. It is still amazing the reaction that car brings when we pull it out of the trailer. People were coming up to us all day saying how they had gone 25 years without seeing a real GNX. Towards the end of the day the weather had deteriorated to the point that we loaded the cars in the trailers and waited for the awards. We showed our 1991 Camaro last year and took second place, this year we took first place in our class and in total our friends had also taken “Best Buick” and a second place award.
Well, this is the last journal entry for summer break … I hope to see you all down in Daytona for the fall semester. Remember to make the best of the year and get involved. There are plenty of clubs and activities to get in involved with – myself I am Vice President of ERMCA – Embry Riddle Muscle Car Association. We are planning on hosting another car show or 2 this year on campus so come on out and join us. Oh! I finally finished editing some of my Oshkosh photos… took about 3,500 so here is a link to my Flickr Collection showing all weeks events.
The last two weeks at the American Airlines Internship was fun, but at the same time somewhat saddening as I would be no longer working as an Intern there. What the future may entail would be my walking down those halls again as a pilot for AA. I can’t wait for that to become a reality. Working at the JFK Flight Office was quite an experience and I could not have asked for a better Internship. I did and saw so much that many pilots around the world may never have the opportunity to see or do and I consider it quite a privilege.
The experience was worth the while and I thoroughly had an amazing summer. I met so many people, created so many friendships and networks and got quite a lot of advice from chatting with hundreds of pilots on a daily basis. I would encourage anyone who wants to do an internship to apply for AA! You will be surprised at what you may learn and how it would create the path for your future. Just drop by Career Services and any one of the advisors would be willing to help and advise you.
The second to last week I spent a few hours up in the Ramp Control Tower directing some flights and chatting about the upcoming arrivals of AA’s new aircraft. It was a good time and I saw some ‘emergencies’ with getting aircraft out of their gates with minimal delays. The picture to the left is the ramp control tower at JFK. Later that week I was fortunate to spend two half days at Ramp Services. Through this experience I got to drive around the AA Ramp with the Manager on Duty. We went to all the aircraft that were coming into and out of the gates, ensuring that they were being unloaded and loaded promptly, fueled efficiently and catered correctly. We looked at load management for the airplanes and I even got the opportunity to load cargo onto the 777 and 767. It was quite amazing at what goes on in the cargo area for those larger airplanes.
It is all automated and the process is quite easy. The crew chiefs taught me a few things about operating the loading machines and it was just a thrill. I also loaded a few bags onto the conveyor belt to go into the 737 forward cargo area. The picture to the right is from after I unloaded cargo out of the 767.
While I was on the ramp, I got the opportunity to drive the tow after pushing back an aircraft. That was so much fun! I am really going to miss this internship. The Ramp guys were so welcoming and gave me all the knowledge they could have. I couldn’t be more appreciative. During the week, I also got a tour of Baggage Services. What they do down there is quite amazing. Those conveyor belts form a labyrinth under the terminals and I was so shocked. The bags shoot down, over, under with so much speed like a roller coaster.
If you saw Toy Story 2 where Woody was lost in the conveyor belts, then that was a perfect representation of the system. At the ending of that week I headed to Dallas for a luncheon with the fellow interns. I was also able to receive an ARFF Tour at JFK. They have the most up-to-date technology there. Their fire trucks were state-of-the-art and quite new. The officers gave me a tour of their facility, explained their operation and allowed me to jump into their trucks and drive around a little. Thank you AA!
I returned to Dallas the following week for a DFW Tour and the closing luncheon for the Internship. The DFW Tour was fun and quite different from that at JKF and LGA. The operations side of things was more hectic as DFW is our major hub. We toured the Flight Offices, Ramp Control and drove around the Ramp. The picture to the right was from a preflight of a S80 at DFW.
The closing Luncheon was nice, as it was the one time where all the interns were able to be together. The night before a couple of us explored the city of Fort Worth. No better BBQ than in Texas! We had a delicious lunch and then the Vice President of Flight- Captain John Hale gave a heart-warming speech. My last two days were spent at the JFK Flight Office. On the final day I went to a presentation for Flight Services, where I saw booths comparing our products in the different cabins with other world-class carriers, and I must say that AA measures up quite well with the 5-Star carriers. We are a force to be reckoned with.
When I returned to the Flight Office I was surprised with a farewell party. It was in such a shock, as I wasn’t expecting anything of the sort. The LGA Flight Office closed down for the day and came over to spend time with me on my final day. I was surprised with a really nice lunch, cake, and lots of presents and heart-warming cards and words. I am so fortunate to have worked with such great people. The picture to the left was from my last day at the Flight Office and the one to the right are some of the amazing people of the JFK/LGA Flight Office.
I am at the LGA Airport headed to CVG right now writing this journal entry. I will keep you posted with one more entry next week about the Procter & Gamble Student Development Program. I am very fortunate for my time at AA. It was a wonderful experience and a great learning opportunity. I would eventually like to fly for this airline because they really do embody all that I believe in, and AA is and will continue to be the American legacy.
Hey Everyone… I hope you are all getting ready for Riddle in a little less than a month. Since I last checked in with you guys I have been on the road, or should I say “airway”. Early in the morning on July 24th, a fellow Embry-Riddle student and I loaded up the Cessna 182T and pointed the nose to the west enroute to Oshkosh, Wisconsin – AirVentures 2011. We made a quick stop in Columbus, Ohio at Ohio State University Airport to make a pit stop before heading to Joliet, Illinois for a planned fuel stop. As we crossed into Indiana we ran into a storm cell that thankfully broke before we got too close. Our airplane, a 2008 Cessna 182 Turbo has the latest in avionics giving us the ability to view weather using XM Weather and giving us advance warning to weather issues. We landed in Joliet, IL (KJOT) and taxied in for fuel … talk about easy access to cheap gas. We pulled up the line service tech was waiting, fueled us right away and we were back on our way to Oshkosh.
During the week of EAA’s Airventure – Oshkosh is the Busiest Airport in the World … and as we made our way to OSH we listened in on the ATIS and reviewed the NOTAM one last time before making one of the easiest and most fun approaches to an airport I have ever done. As we came up on RIPON we turned, followed the approach procedures and traveled over the railroad tracks keeping an eye on other traffic joining the arrival route into OSH. With about 2 miles to go we got our queue to “Rock your Wings” and we were cleared to land on runway 36L. We had my GoPro HD camera suction-cupped to the windshield giving us an amazing video of the approach all the way to shutdown at our campsite. Once touching down at Oshkosh the reality set in and I still could not believe that I had just flown half the country (in about 6 hours) and would be living the aviation dream for a week … living at an airport with the airplane and surrounded by people who have the same passion for flight. So we shut down and pushed the plane back and began to set up our campsite for the week to come. With the tents set up in about 20 minutes and day light left to burn we walked the North 40 Campgrounds looking at aircraft and then ventured into the main Airventure display to get a preview to the week’s events. Though it was the first night we met the pilots and families around us at the airplane and, to my surprise, the Piper Cub about 10 feet away had come from the airport near my house in Virginia…. it’s funny, travel 650nm to meet a guy that lives 20 miles from home.
So Monday marked the start of the week and we started bright and early making our way through the many displays set up by exhibitors from all parts of the aviation community. Monday was mostly spent looking over the manufacturers displays (Cessna, Piper, Embraer, etc.) before the crowds formed later in the week. Of course the fact that I was attending ERAU came up in conversation between the exhibitor’s and as for me, I feel like I made some great connections with those in the industry and fellow Riddle grads at different companies. Embry-Riddle was well represented – the large “tent city” that was set up near Conoco Phillips Square that was well represented by Riddle students and faculty/staff and the aircraft from both Daytona and Prescott. As I walked around during the week I kept seeing ERAU t-shirts, hats, jackets around the airport … a nice reminder that we are in fact #1!
For those of you who know about Oshkosh 2010 – it was a very rainy year for EAA. That being said, we thought ahead and reserved a dorm room at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh for the week as well as setting up camp at the North 40. We did this so we would have an alternative to sleeping in a wet/muddy camp ground if the weather turned for the worse. As the week went by I had to face the reality that I was not going to cover the whole show that stretched over the entire airport and over at the Sea Plane Base. This being said, Eric and I began planning our days to cover the maximum ground and see the most in the time we had. One of the most interesting parts of the day was lunch; we would eat at the show and with a short supply of tables (giving us shade from the sun) that involved finding a table to share with a few others. We had the pleasure of eating lunch with some very interesting business people, pilots and other college students.
Friday morning was marked by the arrival of the Boeing 787 – the first time it visited AirVenture. At approx. 9AM it touched down on 36L, the same runway I had landed on nearly a week prior. With what looked like thousands of fellow aviation enthusiasts I watched the massive aircraft taxi into Conoco Square where it would sit for the day allowing guests to tour the aircraft. In addition to the 787 we all had a chance to see the B-29 bomber “FiFi” take to the skies over Oshkosh. Saturday’s air show was phenomenal with a large selection of Navy aircraft taking to the skies before a large wind storm blew through the area causing the show to be cut a little short. Before we knew it aircraft were back up and flying and we were headed for the night airshow at OSH. If you haven’t seen a night airshow it is one of the most amazing things you can watch as airplanes light up the skies overhead.
Sunday we loaded our belongings back into the Cessna and headed back for Joliet for a splash of fuel before headed back to Winchester, VA. With the ceiling and performance of the Cessna 182T Eric and I cruised at FL200 – 20,000 feet … yes 20,000 feet in a Cessna ha. We had our oxygen and we were taking advantage of a kicking tailwind cutting giving us a shorter trip home. It is very hard to explain how great the show was in a single journal entry, and I don’t want to drag this on and on… but out of the 3,000 + photos I took I am hoping to upload on Flickr – they are already up on Facebook (about 300 of which I have edited covering the week)
Hey everyone. How are you guys doing? I hope your summers are going well and you are enjoying the time off to relax. Mine is going well here in Connecticut. I am just trying to balance my work with some free time, and so far things have been going pretty well.
At the airport, not all that much new has been going on. We did our annual foam and dry chemical tests on our secondary fire truck, which is always fun. We are able to actually flow foam and the halon chemicals right out of the truck, which is something that typically doesn’t happen. The downside to this, of course, is having to restock these chemicals in the truck which can take some time without enough help. Luckily, we got it done in no time at all.
Perhaps the highlight of the past few weeks though was the “dinner flight.” Basically, the fixed-base operator (FBO) on the airport sponsors what they call a dinner flight once a month during the summer. On these flights, every single one of the flight school’s planes departs for a pre-determined destination—that usually translates to 20-30 people altogether. This month, the decision was made to fly to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY (on Long Island) and eat at an on-airport restaurant there, before splitting back up into our planes and flying the Hudson River VFR Corridor flight along the island of Manhattan. What a great time it was.
Flying the Hudson River Corridor is something that I would put up there with seeing a shuttle launch and seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. It is truly breathtaking, especially at night. The lights of the city are so bright and you can see nearly everything from the air. We proceeded down the river to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, circled the Statue of Liberty a few times, then headed north up the East River, crossed the island at Central Park, and continued back to New Haven along the Hudson River.
Aside from the beauty of the city, the complexity of the airspace is fascinating. I was glad to have a flight instructor with me that had done the flight several times already, because knowing where to go and where to be and what altitude to be at is a challenge, especially if you can’t get a clearance into the airspace and subsequently must remain below it. Luckily, due to the time of the night, we were able to get a clearance into the Class B airspace. By the end of the night we had talked to: New Haven Tower, Republic Tower, White Plains Tower, Kennedy Tower, LaGuardia Tower, New York Approach, and Newark Tower. Seeing the planes going back and forth up and down the river was like a road: I had never seen so many planes in one place at one time. Still, it was an incredible experience.
I recently visited the Boeing Everett Factory in Everett, Washington on behalf of Continental Airlines. It was so amazing to see the new aircraft being built and the showroom facility. There are so many options available to airlines and new technologies being released on the new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. It is, by far, changing the future of flight as we know it! I left New York early in the morning and arrived by mid-morning in Seattle. I later returned home on the red-eye flight, luckily I got the last seat out! This tour was different from the public tour in that it was a customer factory tour, so we got to see some of the ‘behind the scenes’ work.
I was also able to hop on a Continental Connection flight to Toronto, Canada with my dad this weekend. Canada was a lot of fun! I liked how the culture seemed to be a mix of both North American and European. It was a very short flight and I flew there on the Bombardier Dash-8 (Q400). I even got to see Niagara Falls!
I’m now enroute to Denver, CO to begin work at the United Airlines Flight Training Center. I will be out there for two weeks working on a special assignment. This is a very neat opportunity and it is also the first time that Continental interns will work with our sister operation.
Everyone I speak to says that Colorado is most beautiful during the summer and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the culture. I have good feeling that I’m going to enjoy my time there.
The past two weeks have been amazingly great. I did so much within that period that would probably have spanned the entire internship. I have a new respect for the airline industry and for those who work there. It is a dynamic environment with many people who all work arduously together to ensure a flight is out on-time in the most safest and expeditious manner. Be it baggage services, passenger services, flight service, maintenance, the flight crew or the administrative group, their main aim is towards the common goal of managing an effective airlines and American Airlines has accomplished that.
The week started out with me flying to Dallas for 3 days to partake in a Luncheon and then Simulator Training. I spent four hours in a 737-800 Level D simulator which was divided up into 2 hours in the Captain’s position and the other 2 hours in the First Officer’s position. We had an hour briefing before and after the session. The ‘Sim’ session consisted of normal take-offs and landings, Precision & Non-Precision Approaches, Single-Engine Approaches and Landings, Aborted Take-Offs prior to and at V1, Failures, Fires and In-flight Emergencies, Single-Engine Operations, CAT I, II, III Approaches, RNP Approaches, Drift Down, FMC Operations, Unusual Attitudes, Wind shear Recovery, Missed Approaches, Low Visibility Operations and much more. It was so much fun and I learned a lot about flying large transport category aircraft. Flight Technique Analysis class at ERAU did indeed pay off. CRM is very important also and the FMS Class made me a pro at working the ‘box’.
I came back on Wednesday and spent the remainder of the day at LGA. Helped out around the office and caught up with some friends since I haven been spending all my time over at JFK. Later that week I spent half of a day up at the JFK FAA Tower. That was fun, as they gave me a headset to listen in on their communications. So many accents! I got to see a missed approach, a go-around and Emirates A380 land. The air traffic controllers were very much passionate about their jobs and have a lot of fun in the tower. I was able to understand most of their strip markings, procedures and phraseology. Riddle’s Air Traffic Program has been so beneficial and now I can see things not only from a pilot’s perspective but also the controller’s side. The picture to the right is a view from the tower.
The following week proved to be busier that I expected. Monday I met up with a 767 crew who invited me to preflight with them, program the FMC and hang with them in the cockpit before they were ready to push back. Later that afternoon I spent a few hours with the Flight Service Department. I learned about their operations and then gate hopping with the MOD to ensure the flight attendants were okay, the cabin was ready for departure and the cabin crew was all set for their flight. There is a lot of work that goes into ensuring the plane is well prepared for flight, from cleaning, catering to maintenance. Once again I reiterate the importance that all the employees place on ensuring the planes go out and come in safely, with the best of services.
The next day proved to be so worthwhile. I spent the day traveling to ORD and back just for fun. I hopped on a ferry flight and repositioned it over to ORD. Spent 10 minutes at ORD and then hopped on the next flight to LGA. It was a long day, but one of the best days of the summer. The next day I got up-close and personal with all the airliners that fly into JFK. I spent the day with the General Manager of the Airport. I got a tour of their facilities and then I jumped in their car and drove around the entire field. It was so much fun and I learned a lot from the managing side of things. I went from cargo facilities, to every terminal, runways and taxiways.
Even got to see an airport sign get blown out by jet blast. I was also fortunate to get a tour of the land side of the airport and not only the air side. I was all over the airplanes though, especially the 777-300ER’s, 747-400, A340-600, A380-800. The picture to the right was taken from the approach end of the runway as BA 747 was landing, one of my favorite airplanes of all times. I was even at the end of the departure runway as the planes took off and got jet blasted a few times…. FUN! The pictures below are from the A380 rounds and some jet blast from AA 757:
It was an amazing two weeks and I saw, learned and experienced a lot. Now I’m heading into my final two week on the internship then onto Proctor & Gamble for the Student Development Program. Stay tuned for the next entry and fly safe! Keep the blue side up…
The last two weeks have been probably the best thus far at the American Airlines Internship Program. I have learned, experienced and met so many people that I can now say I have a better understanding of how an airline is managed. From the last journal entry, I spent my 4th July weekend with my family and friend Justin who came to visit me in NYC. We explored the city, toured a bit and went on fun excursions that led us to meeting new and quite interesting people. We even met a representative from Singapore Airlines and the Manager of a NY Museum. We were fortunate enough to get VIP invitations to an art exhibition later that week.
Work commenced at the office with Lauretta, Dee, Lorraine, Melissa and the Chief Pilot, Scott Meade. I spent most of the week working on the APU Project, preparing spreadsheets, and charts. These charts would go to Jan Paladino, a 767 FO who works in the Flight Office. From there, the work that I have done goes to the Chief Pilot and then to the Vice-President of Flight, John Hale. I feel very privileged to have an input into such a massive project that makes an improvement in American Airlines. That Friday I worked closely with Jan going around the airport and shutting down Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) on aircraft that have a long ground time. I even stayed an hour after work to continue this, as it was so much fun and exciting. Now I can turn on and off the APUs on the 737, 757, 767 and 777. The pictures to the right and above are from that experience.
The next week proved to be one filled with great experiences and interactions. I spent 3 days in the Maintenance Hangar learning about their operations, and hanging out with the mechanics. The first day I got a tour of the facility from the On-Duty Manager Fernando Whitehead. He made sure that I had a great time there through the observation of their operations and mingling with the mechanics and airplanes. It is quite impressive as to how the maintenance personnel work so intimately with the airplanes to ensure they are back in service in the most time effective manner with superior work. These mechanics are a wealth of knowledge and gave me a plethora of advice. They even tried to convince me to become a Mechanic. Lenny, Frank, Brian and Marlene were very welcoming, accommodating and made my stay there quite enjoyable. The picture to the left is from the 757 engine undergoing some maintenance.
I got the opportunity to taxi a 777 from the hangar to the gate as it was being returned to service and later that day a 757 also. The picture to the right is what the centerline looks like from the FO’s seat as you are taxing. Saudi Arabia usually parks at our hanger along with British Airways during their prolonged ground time. I was fortunate enough to get to do a walk around of these airplanes and get up close and personal with them. The mechanics explained a lot of things about these aircraft that I had never known before, such as if the 777 were to lose an engine, it could still do a full Autoland. The pictures below are from that experience:
needed to be worked on immediately and expeditiously so as to prevent delays. The hangar was of a slower rate as the aircraft there needed larger maintenance requirement and were out of service. It was quite enlightening to see the difference in operations and a great learning experience but at the same time fun. The mechanics were also going to do a manual start of the 737 CFM-56 engine, but unfortunately I could see that as it was too dangerous.
Later that day I observed the operations at the Engine Bay in the hangar. Here is where they host a few spare engines, APUs and work on engines that have issues. It was so much fun as it brought back a lot of memories and information that I have learned in Turbines class at ERAU. I was able to go around the engines and find all the major parts and understand their importance. ERAU has educated me so well that it was quite easy understanding the engines, especially when the mechanics explained parts and concepts to me. I even got to participate in the Anniversary Party of a few mechanics who were celebrating their 20-25 year milestones at AA. The pictures to the left and above are from my time there.
In the afternoon, I stayed an hour after work to help the mechanics get a 737 back into service. There was brake line that needed to be changed on the left main gear along with an engine test. I was quite excited to help them accomplish this task. After we changed the brake line, the manuals required that the gear be swung to ensure proper operation. This was here I came in to the rescue! I had to hoist the airplane up into the air so that the gear could be cycled. The picture to the right proved it.
Actually we just jacked the airplane up but it was a good photo opportunity. After that, we taxied the airplane out of the hangar and did an engine run up. That was really fun and REAL! Not like the simulator but an actual engine start. The next day I stayed almost 2 hours after work to help get a 757 back into service after a line check. Talk about putting in over time. These mechanics are so dedicated it is unbelievable. They are passionate about their jobs and so motivated. I also spent a few hours in the Maintenance Training Department. I got some training on the Computer Based Training Systems and it so happens that the manager of this department knows my parents. Small world huh! The pictures to the left and below are from the 737 gear well and cockpit:
The Maintenance Crew is an amazing group of people and I had a blast with them. The picture to the right is just a small group of the wonderful people who ensure that the airplanes are well kept, maintained and safe.
e to communicate quite easily with the dispatchers as all the knowledge came rushing back. ERAU’s training like I always say is the BEST!
When I returned to NY on Friday, AA was celebrating it One World Alliance Anniversary with JAL. I got to partake in the festivities. There was a cultural show, amazing food and giveaways. AA also had their 777 One World Series on display. Once again I saw a photo opportunity. I may be going to Japan in September now.
The pictures to the right and above are from the party. As you can tell the past two weeks have been quite packed, fun and exciting. I can’t wait to continue learning and experiencing. Next week I’ll be in Dallas for a few days for flight training, a luncheon and when I return to JFK I’ll be spending some time with the MOD of Flight Service hoping from aircraft to aircraft learning about their operations. This weekend I’ll be heading to New Jersey to spend some time with my good friend