Category Archives: 2015 – 2016

A Much Needed Break!

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Hey everyone!

Let me start off by saying how sorry I am for not posting any cool entries lately! My life has been insane. Classes have definitely been keeping me on my toes! Which leads me to the topic of this entry…

Spring Break!

All of the students at Riddle just came back from their Spring Break vacation, and I was so excited to have a week where I didn’t have to worry about studying for tests or fitting things into my schedule. Since Daytona Beach is now the Spring Break hot spot for college students, I decided to get out of Florida and go to the best place to avoid crowds – the middle of nowhere.

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Spring Break house!

A group of 30 of my closest friends decided to rent a house up in Blue Ridge, Georgia for the whole week of Spring Break. The house was absolutely gorgeous – and also conveniently located on the edge of the mountain. Since we were basically in the middle of nowhere, the trip offered a chance to get connected to nature. One day during the week, a group of us decided to hike up Blood Mountain, which was a total of eight miles. Now, I’m not a hiker by any means, so going uphill was treacherous, but once we got to the summit of the mountain, the view made the fire in my calves worth it!

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Another day of the week, a couple of us decided to make the hour drive to the Atlanta Zoo. It was a lot of fun seeing what animals the zoo had to offer. My favorite part of the trip was going to the petting zoo (which was for children) and brushing the goats!

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Blood Mountain, Blue Ridge, GA

My best part about my trip to Georgia was being able to celebrate my 20th birthday! This was my first year not being home for my special day, so it was hard not having my traditional birthday dinner with my family. But I was surrounded by 30 of the greatest people I have ever met, so they definitely made my 20th one to remember!

Now that I am back from my much needed break, I am ready to continue the semester with a fresh outlook! Time to get focused!

Some of Last Week’s Events on Campus

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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

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.

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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!

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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

Spring Break Re-Cap

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It was very nice to have a week off earlier this month, and it could not have been at a better time. Now with just four weeks left in the Spring 2016 semester, it is crunch time!

During Spring Break, one of my friends from high school came to visit since we both had the same week off. It was a lot of fun showing her around Daytona and spending many hours relaxing on the beach.

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Even though Daytona Beach may not be the Spring Break Capital of the World anymore, it still is a popular destination for many college students!

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Since my friend was only staying for part of the week, we both went back to Houston (where we are both from) together, but we opted to stay in New Orleans for a few days to hang out with another friend from high school. It was very cool to see his campus and catch up since it had been quite some time since we last talked.

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After a few quick days at home, it was time to head back to Florida!

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Back to Reality… Spring Break Recap

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Hello again!

It has definitely been awhile. I am just getting back into the swing of things, since I had an extended Spring Break vacation. Now its time to hunker down and complete all of the final projects that have been looming all semester. But first, let me tell you about my Spring Break!

I was able to take an early Spring Break, since the Women in Aviation Conference started on the Thursday before Spring Break. Myself, along with two other ladies, drove to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the conference. We ended up driving all throughout the night to get there, but eventually ended up at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. It is a beautiful resort, and the largest in all of North America. It was incredible. My friend and I actually got lost trying to find an exit to the outdoors!!

Some of us at the Women in Aviation Conference

Some of us at the Women in Aviation Conference

The conference was great. I had the opportunity to volunteer at the conference, so I spent a lot of time doing that. I also got to talk to a few companies that I was really interested in. It was nice to talk to hiring managers face-to-face, instead of over the phone/email. One of my favorite moments of the conference was getting to hear a flight attendant from the Miracle on the Hudson speak about her experiences that day. It was a very emotional and unimaginable story.

In addition to conference, I spent a few hours exploring Nashville. I had never been there before, and I love country music, so I figured it was the perfect time to see the city. I got to walk up and down Music Row, see the Country Music Hall of Fame, eat at two of the most popular restaurants in Nashville, and see a concert at the Grand Ole Opry!! Originally, I just walked over to the Grand Ole Opry to see it, however, after walking inside the ticket office, I discovered that Dierks Bentley was playing a show there the next night… Needless to say, it didn’t take me long to decide that I was skipping the conference banquet, and going to the concert instead. It had always been a dream of mine to see a concert at the Grand Ole Opry, and I am so glad I took the opportunity when it presented itself. The show was incredible. It was awesome to see the other nine country artists who all had different styles of country music. So, basically, Nashville and the concert were awesome! It was a great way to start off my Spring Break.

Standing in front of the Grand Ole Opry

Standing in front of the Grand Ole Opry

Inside the Grand Ole Opry

Inside the Grand Ole Opry

Once I got back from Nashville, I hit the road again to drive down to Fort Myers, Florida. I spent four days in Fort Myers, which was nice because it was my time to relax. We went to Sanibel Island to see the lighthouse, went fishing for an entire day, and went shopping at the outlets. It was a very nice few days, besides the fact that I got very sun burnt, and am still feeling the affects.

After a few days in Fort Myers, I traveled back to Daytona, where I would fly out to New York City on Friday. I got the opportunity to spend my last weekend of Spring Break in New York City and Washington, D.C. with the Admissions team. As you know, I am a Women’s Ambassador, which is why I was able to travel and speak at the Accepted Student’s Receptions in both cities.

We spent Friday night and Saturday in New York City. Surprisingly, we actually had time to tour the city Friday night. We went up the Empire State Building, went to see Ground Zero, saw Broadway, drove through SoHo, saw Madison Square Garden, and saw the Statue of Liberty. Our hotel was right in Times Square, so we also got to see all of the tourist attractions there. We didn’t end up getting back to our hotel until about 12:30am that night, but it was so worth it.

On top of the Empire State Building

On top of the Empire State Building

Times Square

Times Square

After the Accepted Students Reception, we went to Penn Station and caught a train to Washington, D.C. I had never been on a train before, plus the fact that we got to see New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C. by train, so I was very excited! The train ride was a lot of fun since we were in Business Class and had a lot of space to ourselves.

We arrived in D.C. late Saturday night, and stayed until Monday morning. After the event on Sunday, we went and toured around D.C. I got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the White House. It was an incredible day filled with so much history. The only unfortunate part was that the cherry blossoms were not blooming, and the National Archives closed before we could go to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. All in all, I had an amazing time in our nation’s capitol.

Standing with President Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial

Standing with President Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial

The National Mall

The National Mall

The White House

The White House

So, that’s my Spring Break recap. I was able to meet some amazing aviators, families, and future ERAU students. I had a few days to relax and live the island life. Then, I traveled up to the freezing weather to talk with incredible students and sight-see, of course. Overall, I am so grateful for the adventures I got to enjoy during Spring Break 2016.

Until next time,

Lindsey

A Day in a Full-Motion Flight Simulator Center

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Have you ever been on the flight deck of a full-motion flight simulator? You would probably see very little difference between the simulator and the real machine.

Flightdeck of the Bombardier Challenger 300

Flightdeck of the Bombardier Challenger 300

I had the opportunity to visit a full-motion flight simulator center in Dorval, QC. CAE, a Montreal-based flight simulator manufacturer, has one of their training facility near the Montreal -Trudeau International Airport. While I was on site, I toured the facility and flew on two different types of aircraft, the Challenger 300 and the Global Express.

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My instructor of the Challenger aircraft was a retired fighter jet pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He explained to me how the simulator worked. Newer generations of simulators use electric motion while the older ones use hydraulic motion. The ancient simulators require more maintenance than the modern simulators. Some use software while others hardware (real part from an aircraft). For example, the main screens which are the  primary-flight display (PFD) and the multi-function display (MFD) is usually replaced by  a computer instead of the real part from the plane.

Bombardier Challenger 605

Bombardier Challenger 605

For the flight on the Challenger, we planned a trip from Montreal (YUL) to New York (JFK). On the second flight, I was assigned a different instructor. I did an IFR and a VFR traffic pattern on the Global Express. I logged 1.0 hour in the Challenger and 0.5 hour in the Global as flight training device.

When you land, the sensation in the cabin is the same as during a real landing. The sounds of the cabin shaking are realistic. You can feel the forces when you apply more pressure on the brakes. It is remarkable how it feels the same as the real business aircraft.

I also visited the facility which included various flight simulators, as well as conference rooms, and small oral rooms similar to what we have on campus. After being hired by an airline or a private company, pilots will start training on simulators before they can fly the aircraft for real. Even though they cost thousands of dollars to operate per hour, it is still cheaper than flying a real airplane.

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

My Favorite Places on Campus

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Spring Break is finally here, and it is quite nice to have some time off to kick back and relax for a few days (more to come in a post next week). I had a friend in town visiting me for Spring Break, and I took the opportunity to give a quick tour of campus. So for this week’s post, I present to you my three favorite spots on campus to enjoy some quiet time (and some even provide nice views of planes landing and taking off).

#3: The top of the maintenance building

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#2: The statue at the end of Legacy Walkway

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#1: The view of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wright Flyer

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What are the “Hippity Haps” for this week?

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Hello, hello! Back at it again with the biweekly updates. With another two weeks under my belt, I cut right to the chase.

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You can catch me on the air with my good friends Lonnie and Ella Wednesday mornings on WIKD!

As usual, classes are starting to get more and more challenging as the semester progresses. And with my time management getting slightly better, I am definitely looking forward to using Spring Break as a period of time to catch up.

Yeah so you can actually see a rocket launch from campus which is legit.

Yeah so you can actually see a rocket launch from campus which is legit.

Speaking of Spring Break, I was selected to represent The Avion Newspaper at this years CMA conference in New York City. The College Media Association (CMA) is an organization that offers resources for news organizations on college campus nationally, and every year, they host a media conference where students from different colleges can meet and get feedback on their material.

Even though I’ve been to New York City many times, I am still excited for the trip. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a vacation and I’m looking forward to meeting people across the nation to gain insight and knowledge that would help benefit the newspaper.

Cue the CSI Miami music.

Cue the CSI Miami music.

It snowed in Daytona Beach.

It snowed in Daytona Beach.

In other news, Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) recently held their tri-annual safety drill. The drill, which involved the FAA, FBI, DHS, and the Red Cross, simulated an aircraft that over-ran the runway. It was nice that DAB had a reserved section for Riddle students to view the training exercise.

Ah, the new residence hall.

Ah, the new residence hall.

That’s pretty much it for now so I’ll see you all in another two weeks!

Monday’s Update

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Hello everyone! I hope your week is going good so far! It’s a crazy week coming up since spring break is right around the corner. Just an update from my side, things have been going really well. Except for the fact that I am extremely tired, I am happy with where I am at.

I recently received an email from NASA regarding the Solar System Ambassador position, the teleconferences are really picking up and I have opportunities to work with STEM education as well so today I resigned as my position as President of Society 4 S.P.A.C.E. My Vice President, Neysha, is taking my place until an official election takes place. I am happy with the half-term I served and I am hopeful for where the club is headed in the future. However, this NASA position is something I cannot turn down. I am really excited to move forward working as an SSA and possible STEM educator.

On other hands, my MOOC for Human Factors in Aviation starts up at the end of the month on March 21, 2016. I am really excited because it is my first MOOC class of the year. I plan to sign up for all of them that are happening this year. MOOC classes are Massive Online Open Classes that are run through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. They range in topics but it only requires 2-3 hours of work during the week and although they are not for college credit, you receive a certificate. It is good to expand your knowledge and put it on your resume. I am super excited for the opportunity.

In the world of “Astro Skye,” I am just about at 5,000 followers on Instagram. I am really excited because I am going to start a giveaway/sweepstakes where a person can win a space care package with some goodies! Some include a photo signed by astronauts, space items, and a couple signed items from me. Astro Skye has really taken off and I can only thank ERAU for educating me on topics that I can include in my other life. I almost feel like Hannah Montana here!

Other than that it is just academics and space. No better combination! I hope you all have a great week and keep chugging along! Spring break is almost here!

Have a great night!

End of Class, Research Paper, Interviews, Exams

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Next Sunday, during Spring Break, I will finish my first class of the spring semester. I am taking Organizational Behavior (MGMT 317) online. I have a lot of work to do before I can finally rest for a week.

First, for my online class, I have to write a final report of 15 pages on an aviation company and discuss the topics in the modules we saw over the nine-week course. I also have to complete a weekly discussion with my classmates. Finally, there is an open book final exam consisting of multiple choice, true or false, short answer, and essay questions. This is all due on Sunday at 11:59PM, yay!

I also have two interviews this week for internship positions for the summer. I hope to get answers back quickly so I can plan my summer accordingly. One of the companies that I applied to is based in Montreal, so I won’t need to find a place to live since I will live with my family at home. The other organization I am interviewing with is not located close to home so I will have to temporary housing for three months. Most of the companies proceed like this. They will help you to find housing close to the headquarters, but you are on your own to pay your living expenses.

Finally, I have to prepare for tests if I do not want to study a lot over the break. I have a Managerial Accounting and a Corporate Finance midterm on the week right after vacation.

A few weeks ago, my professor in my Airport Management class told us that we would not have an in class final exam. He does things differently then my other professors. We do take home assignments throughout the semester and will have a large final group project that will account for most of our grade. We will also have a take home final exam. I like to explore different ways to learn. In this class, we don’t have to memorize material to do well on the exams since there are none. Our assignments work with real life aviation examples. For the final project, we will play the role of the manager of San Diego International Airport (SAN). We will have to prepare a SWOT analysis to determine if we can keep the airport in its current location or take action to develop a brand new airport. I didn’t know that the airport operates with a single runway and welcomes more than 20 million passengers every year.

Well, I have to go back to work on my final report!

Until next time!

Nicolas

 

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

 

The Daytona 500 Weekend

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Two weekends ago was the race weekend! Even though it is my second year living in Daytona Beach, I had never been to a race at the Daytona International Speedway. I had the opportunity to attend both races, the Xfinity Series Race, and the famous Daytona 500 race. My Dad and one of my uncle flew down to the Sunshine State for the event.

Daytona 500

Daytona 500

On Saturday morning, I toured the Sprint Cup Garage and Pit Road. It was my second time touring the garage and pit. The last time I went to a race was in 2011 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the Formula 1 race. It is interesting because you can see everyone who is involved to make a race happen.It is not only the driver of the car that does all the job. Every member of the team has a different task to perform to ensure the team’s success in a race.

Joey Lugano's Ford Fusion in the garage

Joey Logano’s Ford Fusion in the garage

In the afternoon was the Xfinity Series Race. It consists of 120 laps and 300 miles. I just had the chance to see the first 30 laps has we had to go back to the hotel for dinner. At that time, I was already excited for the Daytona 500 the next morning. We ate dinner in the same room that Joey Logano of Team Penske did. I was not expecting that! Joey delivered a short speech and talked about some of the aspects of the race. For example, you don’t want to be to close to the car in front of you because it could give them a push forward.

Sunday was the big day. Before the race, we went down on the asphalt on the actual race track. It was impressive to see how inclined the road was at some places. We were even allowed to write on the yellow painted lines on the side of the track. There was a concert on the track before the start of the race. After the pre-race festivities, the National Anthem began and ended with the USAF Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds!

The Thunderbirds!

I thought overall that the race was long. It is 200 laps over a distance of 500 miles. I enjoyed the beginning of the race because I did not know to expect. However, I got bored in the middle of the race because nothing was happening, cars weren’t passing each other and there was not much action happening. I would say the last 20 laps were the most exciting, and they are the ones that I payed most attention to. The last lap was spectacular as nobody expected that Denny Hamlin would win. I enjoyed my first race weekend and hope to attend more those races in the future.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu