Spring 2017 Semester Takes Off

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Jack

Hello There!

The Spring 2017 semester has officially taken off, and it is shaping up to be a fun one.

This semester, I am taking six classes which are all business classes. It seems safe to say that the further you get into college, the more interesting the classes become as they begin to heavily relate to your major. For example, I am taking Business Law, Airport Management, and Professional selling, just to name a few. It is really neat to be able to see how I will eventually use what I learn once I start in the “real world” next January.

11 months from today I will be graduating, and I cannot wait. However, I am very much looking forward to enjoying one more year in Florida.

Until next time,

Jack

Back to School for My Last Semester

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Lindsey

Classes just started back up again and it’s time for me to get back into the swing of things. It’s my last semester of my undergraduate career at Embry-Riddle, and it is definitely bittersweet.

I am taking four classes, one of which is the capstone class for the Aviation Business Administration degree. Going into this semester I was excited to have completed some of my leadership roles, as well as only be taking four classes, so that I could take more time to enjoy my last semester in Daytona Beach. However, things don’t always go as planned! I ended up taking a few more positions, and my classes seem to be a lot more time consuming and involved than I had anticipated.

With that being said, I am so excited for this semester! Some things I’m stoked about are:

Living in the new residence hall: I was lucky enough to be moved into the brand new residence hall as an RA for this semester. The hall is gorgeous, and I’m so happy to be able to be one of the first to experience it. I’ll write about the New Hall separately in another post coming up!

My classes: I know it sounds nerdy, but I am loving my classes so far. I’m taking Management of Production Operations, Project Management in Aviation Operations, International Aviation Management, and Strategic Management (capstone class). Each of these classes are super interesting to me, and I feel like I will learn a lot this semester. At the end of the Project Management class we will be prepared to take the certification test to become a Certified Associate in Project Management, which is a internationally recognized certification that we can put on our resumes (how cool is that?!).

Travel: As always, I am excited to experience new places, as well as visit some familiar cities. I’ll be traveling to Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver to meet with students who have been accepted to ERAU. Additionally, I will be making a trip out to Dallas to find my new home there! I can’t wait to go back to Dallas and look for the perfect apartment, as well as get a better feel for the city. Lastly, I’m hoping Spring Break will take me to a new destination. It’s still in the works, but I’m sure I’ll find somewhere to spend my last Spring Break.

Of course, there is so much more to look forward to over the next few months. Overall, I am just focusing on enjoying my last few months in Daytona, learning as much as I can in my classes, and continuing to foster great relationships with friends.

Until next time,

Lindsey

My 2016 Travel Map

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Nicolas

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

The famous Hollywood sign.

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.

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

Happy Flying!

Nicolas

Christmas in New York City

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Lindsey

Everyone has seen the Christmas movies that are set in New York City. The famous Rockefeller Christmas tree, the Rockettes, window displays at the department stores, and all of the decorations around the city are all very well known. New York City at Christmas is iconic, and I always dreamed of experiencing it during the holidays.

A few months ago I decided to make my dream a reality, so I purchased a ticket to New York City in December. I left a few days after Finals finished up for the Fall semester. My sister and boyfriend both joined me on this holiday adventure.

I had been to New York City a few times before, which was helpful since I pretty much knew my way around Midtown Manhattan. We stayed at a hotel a few blocks away from Times Square. Of course, while we were there for three days it was the coldest it had been all December. We were freezing! Nevertheless, we walked around for three days straight. It was nice to stay right in the middle of the city, since it was a close walk to all of the holiday sights we wanted to see.

David and I in Times Square

My sister had never been to New York before, so our first stop was Central Park. It was raining, but we still had a fun time walking around looking at the ponds, as well as the ice rink! The weather started to get pretty gross, so we headed to the Plaza Hotel to try and see the iconic lobby. We weren’t aware that you had to be a guest to get access to the lobby, but at least we got to show my sister the most famous hotel in Manhattan. We spent the rest of the day wandering around Midtown looking at the storefronts, as well as looking for good restaurants.

Lauren and I in Central Park

The second day we were there was the coldest of them all. Luckily, we had tickets to see the Radio City Rockettes. However, it was about a 15-20 minute walk from our hotel to Radio City Music Hall. We braved the cold, and it was totally worth it! Seeing the Rockettes in person at Radio City was one of my bucket list items. They’re amazing dancers when you see them on TV, but even more incredible when you see them in person. The show was spectacular, and it really put me in the holiday spirit.

During the show

Radio City Music Hall

After the show, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). It’s located about halfway up Central Park, so we decided to take an Uber up there. I had seen TV shows that occasionally took place in and around The Met, but they definitely didn’t do it justice. The museum is massive! We walked around for about two hours and were nowhere close to seeing all of the exhibits. My favorite exhibit was the Egyptian exhibit. I loved seeing ancient art pieces from way back.

Sitting on the steps of The Met

The next day we woke up early to go to one of the best bakeries in Manhattan. It is called Magnolia Bakery and they have a location in Rockefeller Plaza. We then headed to the Top of the Rock. I had been to the top of the Empire State Building twice before, so I wanted to see the city from a different viewpoint. Once you’re at the top you can see all of Central Park, which was my favorite part. It was a gorgeous day to be on top of Manhattan, since you could see all of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the boroughs, and New Jersey. We stayed up there for awhile taking in the sights and snapping as many pictures as we could.

Central Park from the Top of the Rock

Once we were done, we headed down to SoHo. I’d never been to SoHo before, so we walked around the stores down there. It took us awhile to get from Midtown down to SoHo, but it was worth it. It was awesome to see all of the huge retailers flagship locations.

Each night we ended up at Rockefeller Plaza gazing at the Christmas tree. I always used to see it on TV during Christmas specials, but it was so much larger in person. The lights shimmered perfectly in the cold New York air, and the hustle and bustle of the large crowds helped to forget about the cold.

Rockefeller Plaza

Decorations near Rockefeller Plaza

I’ll never forget standing there under the tree, overlooking the ice rink, and watching the light show on the side of Saks 5th Avenue. Christmas in New York was an unforgettable experience, and I encourage everyone to try and make it there at some point during your lifetime!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Holidays Travel Tips

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Nicolas

Here are a few travel tips as we go through this holiday season:

Before The Trip
Pack light: You should only bring the necessary stuff you need for your trip. If you are allowed a free checked-bag on your airline, use it instead of bringing a carry-on. This will accelerate the boarding process and reduce delays at the gate.

Carry-on: You should pack your travel documents, medication, car keys and spare lithium batteries in your carry-on or in a bag as your personal item. If you are bringing liquids, they should be 100g/100ml (3.4 oz.) or less. Make sure your carry-on luggage has the right dimensions and weight depending on your airline. Many air carriers are strict about this and will make you check your bag if it’s too large.

Bringing gifts?: If you are carrying gifts onboard the aircraft, you should keep them unwrapped until you go through security. It’s just easier for the security officers if they have to inspect your gifts.

Flying international?: If you are flying out of the country, make sure you have all the documents you need to enter the foreign country such as passport and visas. Ensure your passport is valid and is not expired prior to your trip.

24 Hours Before The Flight
Check-in: One day prior to your flight, you can check-in on your airline’s website or on their mobile app.

Flight status: Enable your notifications on your smart phone so you can know the status of your flight. If it is delayed or cancelled, you will know before heading to the airport for nothing. Winter weather delays can be expected even if you are not flying to/from the north as your inbound plane and the crew might be coming from Minneapolis for example.

At The Airport
Arrive early: If you are flying early in the morning or out of a major hub, definitely arrive early before your flight. There are a lot of people at the airport checking-in for their flights, dropping their bags and going through the security check point, which means longer wait times. Early for me means between 2 hours and 3 hours before departure.

Security checkpoint: To expedite security, I would recommend that you put your phone and wallet in your bag or your carry-on. You’ll have less loose items in the bins that you can lose. If you have a laptop, put it in a separate bin. Keep your boarding pass and ID with you as you go through screening. If “TSA Pre” is written on your boarding pass, just put everything in your bag and go through the walk through detector with your shoes and belt.

Boarding the Aircraft
Boarding time: Only go closer to the boarding area when your boarding zone is called so you won’t block any passengers in line that are boarding an earlier zone than you. To increase the odds your flight leaves on-time, only board when it’s your turn. I was boarding a flight earlier this week and a passenger tried to board during Zone 1 while he was Zone 5…

Onboard: If you have a carry-on, store it with handle out or wheels out to make space for everyone on board. If you have a winter jacket, don’t put it next to your carry-on. Squeeze it on top of your carry-on or put it under the seat in front of you with your personal item.

Comment below if you have other good #traveltips to give to our readers!

Happy and safe travels!

Nicolas

Holidays in the Sunshine State

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Lindsey

When you think of the holiday season, you normally don’t think of Florida, although, the Sunshine State has a lot to offer during the holidays. It’s always hard to balance the excitement of the holidays with the stress of Finals Week, especially when you’re surrounded by so many holiday events.

Earlier this month I went to the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando to see the ICE! display that they put on each year. The display is in their convention center and it is composed of tons of ice that has been carved by professional ice carvers. It was my first time going to the display, and I was excited because the theme was Charlie Brown Christmas.

Charlie Brown

Snoopy

Besides seeing the ice sculptures, one of the best parts of the display is that it is inside a nine degree freezer. They claim that nine degrees is the perfect viewing temperature for ice. Since I’ve been in Florida for three years, I was definitely not used to the cold. I brought my own winter jacket, even though they are also provided for you at the display. It was awesome to experience a winter temperature while still living in Florida.

David and I holding an apple made out of ice

It’s always nice to get away from the stress of Finals to get into the holiday spirit. Now I’m off to Disney World and New York City to see what else this holiday season has to offer!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Another Semester Down

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Billy

Well we did it! Approximately 16 weeks of school officially over and done with. What’s next you may ask? Well I have about another three to four weeks before school starts again so I can only assume adventure!

Of course, the break is what I make it so I’m making a promise to myself to actually go out and do stuff this time. Then again, the New Jersey winter can be very limiting and New York City is a bit tricky to navigate with snow on a ground.

A lot has happened to me the past few days, and these events really made me rethink about the direction I was heading and how far I’ve come as a person. Unfortunately some doors closed on me, but some new ones opened as well. We don’t really have a whole lot of control over the things that happen in our lives, but life is what you make it right?

Despite these minor setbacks, I’m very excited for what Spring 2017 has in store for me. I’m finally starting to advance in my engineering courses and am slowly starting to appreciate all of the hard work and thought that goes into engineering. Hopefully I can apply what I learned these past few months to my daily life.

For now, I am just worrying about packing up my stuff for a 12:30 p.m. flight out of Daytona this Saturday. Enjoy the holiday break, and we’ll result our regularly scheduled broadcast in January.

It’s Over!

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Nicolas

I can’t believe the fall 2016 semester is already over. I feel like it was not a long time ago that I ended my summer internship. I’m very happy that finals are now over and that we have a bit less than a month of vacation.

I had my last final on Tuesday evening. This semester, only has two finals during the four days that are considered “finals week.” In most of my classes, the professors gave the final during regular class time on the last day of classes. Instead of being a big comprehensive exam with the material we saw from the beginning of the semester, it was just a normal exam with the material covered in the last few weeks. To make it even easier, one of my finals was open book and we were allowed to reference our textbook, our computer (with no internet access), PowerPoint slides and notes. It was definitely my easiest exam!

I am now at the airport waiting for my flight to go home for the holidays! Before I left Daytona Beach, I made sure my schedule was set for next semester. I was on the waitlist for one of my classes that only had one section. Fortunately, the Department of Physical Sciences decided to add a second section of Biology because many students were on the waiting list for the class. If you are currently on a waitlist for one of your classes, you have a few options. First, you can wait until the first week of classes in January where the class might open since many students drop classes. Second, you can try to force entry in a class, but this process is more complicated since you have to talk with your Program Coordinator, the Department of your class and the professor teaching the course. Finally, you might be able to take the class online* through Worldwide. You can read my blog to see if an online class is a good option for you.

I will be home with my family until January 1. On the first day of 2017, I will head with my family to London for a week!

Happy holidays and see you in 2017!

Nicolas

*Current residential campus students must submit appropriate paperwork before enrolling in online courses through the Worldwide Campus. Consult with the Record’s Office, your advisor or admissions counselor before deciding whether online courses are right for you.

Fall 2016 Is Done!

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Jack

Hello All!

I am quite happy that the Fall 2016 semester is officially over; only two more semesters are left for me at ERAU!

Shockingly, all of my final exams/tests were extremely easy, but studying a lot for them definitely helped. In one of my classes, I just had to get a 1% on one of them to get an A in the class which made it pretty stress-free.

To celebrate finishing finals, I headed to the beach one more time. One of the nice things about Florida is that sometimes even mid-December that it can be beach weather! Although, I feel bad for some of my classmates who will be trading in their flipflops for boots and gloves as temperatures up north will be below freezing up north.

I took a little trip up A1A, which runs along the coast, to Flagler Beach for a quick visit; there is still some remnants of damage from Hurricane Matthew that visited the Florida coast. Hopefully, everything will turn back to normal soon!

I am glad that it is officially Winter Break, and it could not have come at a better time. Well, time to head to the airport to catch a flight to start my break!

Happy Holidays,

Jack

Day trip to Austin

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Nicolas

Hello readers!

It was also my first flight on Southwest Airlines!

Last Saturday, I traveled to Austin, Texas for the day. I went to visit my friend from high school who is currently studying at the University of Texas. I was supposed to make this trip in October but it did not work out. Thanks to Southwest’s no change-fees policy as I pushed the trip a few weeks later free of charge paying only the fare difference.

My flight was in the morning from Orlando (MCO) to Austin (AUS). When I landed in the capital of Texas, it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit with rain showers. Coming from warm Florida, I didn’t even think of bringing a jacket.

During my short visit, my friend showed me his apartment which was about a 10-minute walk from campus. We then walked to the campus where we toured for a while. As we were walking past an open field, there were students running around throwing some balls and carrying a broomstick. I’m sure you already know what they were doing. Yes, they were playing quidditch like in Harry Potter. Well they weren’t flying but the game looked quite similar from the movie. It was fun to watch to say the least.

Quidditch game!

After watching the game for a few minutes, we went to get lunch at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin. Since I lived in San Antonio for three years, it was unquestionable that we had to go eat tacos! One of my favorite taco is called al pastor and comes with marinated pork, small pineapple chunks, chopped onions and cilantro and a slice of lime.

Later after lunch, we hanged out for a few hours before I had to leave for the airport for my flight back home. I really enjoyed my day in Austin!

Until next time!

Nicolas

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Category Archives: 2016 – 2017

Spring 2017 Semester Takes Off

Back to School for My Last Semester

My 2016 Travel Map

Christmas in New York City

Holidays Travel Tips

Holidays in the Sunshine State

Another Semester Down

It’s Over!

Fall 2016 Is Done!

Day trip to Austin