Filing a New Flight Plan

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Kevin Garland arrived at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus as a freshman in fall of 2008, the height of the Great Recession. It’s no surprise he ended up at Embry-Riddle, he’d been attracted to aviation since he was six years old when his grandfather introduced him to Radio Control Aircraft (R/C). Naturally, he chose to major in flight. He also selected minors in air traffic control and unmanned aircraft systems. At that time, unmanned aircraft studies were just being introduced to college curriculum. In fact, Embry-Riddle was the first to offer the major that began accepting students into the program in unmanned aircraft systems science in the fall of 2011, just a year before Kevin’s scheduled graduation. But he saw the opportunity in the rapidly expanding field and modified his plan.

When he started college, he had already achieved much success in the world of R/C having soloed when he was just seven years old. By the time he was a senior, he was ranked 4th in Advanced Class his region and had secured a variety of sponsors to support his competitions nationally. He continued his R/C flying at Embry-Riddles part of the R/C Club with a team made up of students majoring in aerospace engineering, communication and unmanned aircraft. Kevin changed his major to aeronautics, a move that gave him added flexibility for gaining minors.

But he says these competitions are about more than winning, they are also about inspiring young people. As a college student, he enjoyed visiting high schools, like Griffin High in his home state of Georgia, and the kids who attend Youth Masters R/C competition where Kevin helps out each year.

Kevin's niece - keeping the family inspiration going

Kevin’s niece – keeping the family inspiration going

Kevin’s final student blog after graduation relates the plans he has for the future: move back home, finish his certified flight instructor rating to become a flight instructor and build flight time, land a job in air traffic control and keep competing in R/C. But that’s not how the future panned out for Kevin, and he’s happy about that for a number of reasons. Let’s ask him about where life took him and where he is today.

How did you land your job at Latitude Engineering?
After completing my degree at the end of the Summer of 2012 I visited the Embry-Riddle Daytona campus in November to see a few friends. While visiting I stopped and spoke to a few of my past professors. Mr. Ted Beneigh who was one of my UAS professors mentioned about a job in Yuma, AZ working for Latitude Engineering. He gave me their contact information (still have that piece of paper today!) That night I emailed Latitude my resume and the next week I heard from them. They mention I basically met all the criteria and they wanted me to fly out to Yuma the next day to do an in-person interview. The interview went great and when I landed back in Atlanta I got a voicemail saying I had been selected for the job and was going to start the first of the year in 2013. Without the help of Professor Beneigh I may have never found this great opportunity.
What is your position and job duties?
 From 2013 to late 2015 I worked in Yuma, AZ as a contract R&D Test Pilot for the NAVAIR Program flying the Tiger Shark UAV, which is a 500lb 20-foot wing span UAV. For this particular job I tested new software code, new payloads to be used overseas, and testing new parts for the aircraft itself. I have earned more than 900 hours flying this platform over those three years in Yuma, AZ. My contract with that program ended and late 2015 I moved the Commercial Side of UAVs flying for the BNSF FAA Pathfinder Program working with Latitude.  I am currently a Company representative supporting Latitude’s Hybrid Quadcopter Aircraft. This is a VTOL (virtual take-off and landing) aircraft which will be used to support BNSF’s train operations. My roles for this position include doing test flights on the aircraft, teaching new students how to fly the aircraft for BNSF’s operations, and to fix any issues with the aircraft in the field if there is a problem. The FAA Pathfinder project is dealing with BVLOS operations.  Fun fact! Embry-Riddle has purchased Latitude Engineering’s HQ-40 Aircraft.

 

VTOL - work in progress

VTOL – work in progress

Do other Embry-Riddle alumni work at Latitude?
As of right now no one else from Embry-Riddle works with Latitude Engineering. Alumni are, however working with the same BNSF Pathfinder project working for AUV Flight Services. I am hoping to attract more alumni to Latitude Engineering as it is an awesome company to work for. Where else can you skate board around the office and rip stick around the workbenches?

Are you still competing?
Even with my busy schedule I still compete in aerobatic flying with model aircraft. I still try to make a few competitions each year along with performing airshows at local and regional events.
My main sponsor currently is Futaba / Hobbico. A few other sponsors are Flight Power Batteries, Ohio Model Products, Smart-Fly R/C, B&E Graphix, Spot-On R/C and my newest sponsor is Ready Made R/C.

Do you spend much time flying the old-fashioned way – in the sky?
Flying? I honestly don’t know when I am not flying! I guess when I sleep. I am constantly flying manned and unmanned aircraft along with model aircraft. As for manned flying, I try to get up a few times every month to stay current. I am very fortunate that part of my job is flying manned aircraft for unmanned flight testing. I also have been very fortunate to be able to fly my girlfriend’s family plane which is a Cessna 182. Brenna (my girlfriend) and I have been dating two years now and she enjoys flying as much as I do. I have put on an extra 300 hours since we started dating in their Cessna-182. I say I am very LUCKY! Just last year I completed my Certified Flight Instructor rating and later this year I plan on completing my CFII.


How about your personal life?
During the spring time in 2013 I was out flying R/C aircraft at the local model aircraft field in Yuma, AZ. An older gentleman walked up to me and notice the hat I was wearing was an ERAU hat. He also noticed my airplane had an Embry-Riddle decal on it. He mentioned his granddaughter Brenna was interested in going to college either at ERAU in Prescott or UND. I gave my personal opinion and he wanted my phone and email address for her to contact me. Brenna later emailed me and asked me a few questions about the University. I personally did not know much about the Prescott campus as I went to the Daytona campus, but I answered the questions to the best of my ability. She later mentioned she chose ERAU in Prescott and she was starting in the Fall of 2013. We talked over the phone and via emails for nearly a year till we actually met in person in Spring time of 2014. We really got along as we shared a lot of things together. We have been on many adventures in her parents Cessna 182. We have flown across the country from Yuma, AZ to Atlanta, Georgia several times along with flying to her hometown from Prescott, AZ to Alden, IA. We have also flown into Oshkosh together and Sun N Fun. Other great trips were flying to Telluride, CO, Catalina Island, and to see the Arches in Utah. Even though we graduated from two different campuses we both worked great as a flight crew. She graduated from the Prescott campus back in December of 2015 and she now has a job as a First Officer for Boutique Airlines flying a PC-12.
Words of advice?
I would like to thank my family for supporting me all of these years. My parents always worried about the money we spent on flying r/c aircraft during my years living at home. The hobby is not cheap, but I was very fortunate enough to have my parents help out when I was younger. Today my parents said their investment in my hobby paid off, because I have landed a dream job of mine of flying Unmanned Aircraft. The person I would like to thank the most is my Grandfather. He is the one that introduced me to this hobby and taught me how to fly mode aircraft. Without his help there is no telling what I would be doing as for a career today. Model Aircraft, I feel, is a great starting point for anyone to get into the field of aviation. Let’s put it this way. My first flight in a manned aircraft the Instructor never had to take the controls from take-off to landing. After landing my instructor looked at me and said “are you ready to solo” Of course he was joking, but he could tell the skills I learned from flying r/c aircraft transferred to my manned flying skills.

Kevin and Granddad

Kevin and Granddad

Quick Update

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This past week has been quite busy juggling between work and my online summer class. I am working currently working with the 2017 summer schedule. My online class is almost coming to an end with less than two weeks remaining. Students must always request permission to take courses online, but it’s a good way to keep moving towards graduation during the summer months.

Last week, we had to turn in a rough draft of a research paper on leadership, which is due in a week. I only have a few assignments left before finishing the class. Since I work 40 hours a week, I have to study and do homework during the evenings after work and on weekends. This week, I will review and edit my essay and turn in my final submission. We also have a final exam in two week. It consists of five short essay questions.

In less than two weeks, my internship at Air Canada will end. I am taking the time to enjoy my last few days as an intern. I hope to come back next spring as a full-time employee.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Isn’t this summer “Phenom” – inal???

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Nothing like starting off the post with a funny airplane pun, huh?

Throughout my very boring and relaxing weekend (which I am very grateful for – haven’t had one of those in what feels like years), I mulled over how awesome this summer has been. It’s not very often anyone can say that they’ve been able to compete in 2 National Flight competitions, placed in Top 10 in one and won the other competition AND intern at one of the greatest and most influential Business/Private Jet design and manufacturing companies in the world.

I’m in the process of creating my final internship presentation to present in front of other interns, my boss, my supervisor, and the head of the overseeing department that includes my human factors department. Trust me, after all of the presentations that I’ve given over the last 3 years at Riddle, especially this past spring semester, this is going to be a piece of cake. But in writing this presentation, I can’t help but be in total awe of the opportunities that ERAU has given me over just these past 3 years. I’ve been able to compete in 3 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conferences (otherwise known as NIFA National SAFECONs), 2 going on 3 Regional SAFECON competitions, 2 Air Race Classic races, and interned at a leading aerospace company. I have been one busy girl, but I am incredibly thankful for those at ERAU who have helped me along the way.

People often look at a university for what some pretty obvious factors, like a football team, majors (of course), family history maybe, in-state vs. out-of-state, retention rate, money ($$$), and a few others. What I wish I had done, but what luckily worked out for me, were the hidden programs within the university. Other opportunities besides the obvious and marketed aspects. Of course, Riddle has an amazing flight program which I absolutely love, and great students and faculty, and amazing sports and flying opportunities. All of that is absolutely true, but what is often overlooked my incoming freshman are the countless careers paths and opportunities only offered to ERAU students. Of course, we all know about the cadet programs and gateway programs for the pilots, which I have considered over the years, but what about us engineers and specialists? It’s amazing how just mentioning your involvement with ERAU can put you leaps and bounds ahead of other students. I have at least 5 co-workers that are ERAU alum in one way or another and it’s fantastic networking. We share stories, gather advice, and share our love of Riddle. Many companies offer special scholarships to ERAU-only students, which I have been lucky enough to have received one this summer from Gulfstream. Aerospace companies and ERAU take pride in their connections, whether it’s students, employees, activities, Greek life, sports, anything and everything. People in industry are amazed at what Riddle has done for myself and its students.

I’m definitely proud to have been able to represent ERAU and be an Eagle thus far in my college career and I’m so looking forward to continue representing this amazing university for one final semester this fall.

I think you’ve heard enough of my early week ranting, so enjoy your week and get excited for more (hopefully more hysterical) posts from me.

Blue skies,

Emmy

(For those of you unfamiliar with what a Phenom is, Phenoms are a series of business jets developed by Embraer out of Brazil. They’re very popular aircraft in the United States and around the world. They’re definitely one of my favorite series. I think I may like the Phenom 300 a little bit more than the Phenom 100, only because it’s a slightly bigger aircraft. They’re definitely on my flying-bucket-list!)

Taking the Scenic Route to the NTSB

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When Pete came to Embry-Riddle as a freshman in fall of 2009, his goal after graduation was to be a pilot, a dream he’d had since he was in first grade. But it wasn’t long until he recognized his love of aviation would be better served in a business role, so he changed his major to business administration.

“My internship at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport opened my eyes to this and made me realize flying wasn’t the only way I could be actively, hands-on involved in aviation every day,” he says in his introductory student blog.

He began writing the blog as a sophomore and, by that time, was well on his way to achieving his college graduation goals. He’d began working in Airport Operations at Daytona Beach International Airport almost 30 hours per week. In addition, he earned his Private Pilot’s Certificate, Instrument Rating, made Honor Roll, published a blog and articles for various online outlets, was certified in Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting, and had organized large events including an air show. Pretty impressive stuff – but that was just the beginning.
pete tbird

Prospective students followed Pete’s adventures at RiddleLifeFlorida where he shared his Embry-Riddle experiences of plane spotting, day trips to Disney, and work stories. One of the highlights was working during the Daytona 500 NASCAR races and supporting the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the more than 250 corporate aircraft that fly in and out during the event, and even celebrities like Fergie.

Fast forward to 2016 and we find Pete about to begin his third year of law school and at the NTSB working as a Law Clerk. How did he get there? Let’s ask him.
pete

The last Riddle blog you wrote was in 2011. Where did life take you from there?

Well, somewhat comically, not three days after graduation from Riddle I began working in my new job at Orlando International Airport. I was given a rare opportunity for someone only 22 years old due to the amount of experience that I had developed to be an Airfield Operations Specialist at one of the largest airports in the world. I still credit my experiences at Embry-Riddle in addition to my work experience for getting me there. It was truly a great experience to be responsible for something as big as Orlando International on a day-to-day basis.

While I was at Orlando, I decided that it would be a good idea to continue my education, so I began working on a Master’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida on a part-time basis. In doing this, and in the work I was doing at the airport, I uncovered an interest in the law, specifically in aviation law. So, I took the LSAT and applied to law schools, ultimately selecting the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Arlington, VA. Following my first year of law school, I was lucky enough to do an internship with the Federal Aviation Administration in their Chief Counsel’s office. Following my second year of law school, and presently, I am working in the General Counsel’s office of the National Transportation Safety Board as a law clerk. Then, I will complete my last year of law school, take the Bar exam, and be an attorney working in the aviation industry in some capacity.

How did you choose a grad school?

I started my graduate studies at UCF largely due to its proximity to work, and also because of their criminal justice program that is well respected in the industry. In choosing Scalia Law, I was primarily focused on attending a Top 50 law school in close proximity to Washington, DC and the federal government. Ultimately, that proximity has allowed me to obtain a great deal of exposure with the government and to work/intern there during the school year, while students at many other schools only have the opportunity to participate in internships with the federal government during the summers.

How did Embry-Riddle help you prepare for and transition to grad school?

Riddle definitely prepared me for grad school in the way that the professors structured their classes and assigned projects. The Riddle requires students to be strategic in their time management and planning, while also teaching students how to think rationally and logically. These skills are imperative for success in law school. You need to be able to process information quickly and accurately, and you need to be able to budget your time almost perfectly, especially in the first year of law school. Additionally, the Aviation Law course that I took at my law school was more of a review than anything else as a result of the coursework from the College of Business. This allowed me to excel above the other students in that class.

What was your grad school experience like?

It is still ongoing, that is for sure! As most people know, the first year of law school is tough. You are assigned hundreds of pages of reading a night, legal writing projects, and you are also randomly subject to being called on in class to discuss the material (the “Socratic method.”) It really left no free time to do much of anything else. The second year was much easier, and I was able to get involved on the Trial Advocacy Team, continue my internship at the FAA, and even take on a part-time job to make a little money. The third year of law school is more outside the classroom work and less school: I will only have class two days a week this semester and will be working the remaining days. All in all though, the skills I have learned are very helpful and useful, and I appreciate the experience very much.

Did you ever imagine you’d find yourself working for the NTSB?

No, I don’t think so! I was always interested in accident investigations and wanted to take those classes at Riddle, but I was never able to do so unfortunately. I did not think that I would ever be working in a legal capacity for the Board, however, that is for certain. I am enjoying it very much thus far!

What are some of the legal issues specific to aviation?

There are many legal issues in aviation today, probably the most well-known of which involve the air service controversies that have been occurring with foreign carriers such as Emirates and Qatar, and US-flag carriers. Foreign carriers must be permitted by the Department of Transportation to serve destinations in the United States, allowing them to compete with US carriers on the same routes. However, some US carriers have claimed that they cannot compete with these foreign carriers because those carriers are subsidized by their respective country’s governments and subject to those countries’ laxer labor laws, resulting in significantly lower overhead and the ability to charge far cheaper fares.

However, aviation law issues stretch further than one might imagine to include tort litigation (personal injury), enforcement, regulatory concerns, and more. Personally, my favorite area is tort litigation as I love being in the courtroom. Ultimately, I would love to be able to litigate cases involving aircraft crashes in court. The utility of my Embry-Riddle background and technical knowledge is immeasurable when it comes to this type of law.

Do you still spend time flying?

Yes, I try to. The Washington, DC airspace is somewhat tricky, but I have found an airport nearby that has nice rentals and is not too hard to get to. When time permits, I love to fly around and check out the landscape of Virginia.

Are there many ERAU grads working with you?

There are, actually, but not directly in the General Counsel’s office. Many of the investigators went to Embry-Riddle, and, in fact, one of the presidentially-appointed Board Members (Robert Sumwalt) has a Master’s Degree from Embry-Riddle.

Advice for students attracted to Embry-Riddle?

Prospective students? If you have even the slightest interest that you want to work in aviation in any capacity, go to Embry-Riddle. Take it from me. The opportunities that I have had have all been related to my degree from Embry-Riddle. The people you meet will connect you with jobs for the rest of your life. It is worth every penny you spend on your degree to go to Riddle. I would not be where I am today if I did not go to Embry-Riddle. In short, DO IT. The education is fantastic and will prepare you for whatever you choose to do in life. Additionally, going to college in Daytona Beach is an experience that I reminisce about every day, and you will absolutely love it yourself.

Current students? Think outside the box. I came into Riddle with tunnel vision that I wanted to be an airline pilot, but look where my career took me due to one internship. Try a few different things and see what you like. Don’t give up, even when it gets hard. It will all be worth it. Lastly, enjoy every minute of it, because it goes by so fast. But, know that the friends you make at Riddle will be your friends for life. Virtually all of my best friends are people who I met during college.

Students interested in similar careers can contact Pete at  jgreco@gmu.edu

What is Human Factors?

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Hello, all!

To give to a little bit of a taste of what I do at Gulfstream (and some tips on how to get your foot in the door here), I figured I need to explain what it is exactly that I do.

I’m a human factors engineering intern; I’ll try to explain the basics of what I do. Not a whole lot of people know what human factors is, but a simple explanation of what human factors is is the study of the interactions between humans and machines, creating a better overall experience for the human. There are endless opportunities within human factors, anything from ergonomically designing seats and controls (like a steering wheel in a car or a side-stick in an airplane) to developing checklists. Human Factors plays important roles in aviation and safety, which is why, thanks to the help of the FAA, there’s been a huge influx of human factors department growth within major aerospace companies. Some companies, like Gulfstream, have had human factors departments for a long time, but have tried to expand the influence that human factors has in the overall design and development of aircraft.

Human factors isn’t just touchy-feely, “how does this make you feel?” science. It’s more about “what can I do to make this easier for the user?”. Take your car for example. Every single button shape, the amount of force required to press the button, the symbology, color, and size all had input from a human factors professional. The seats in your car? A human factors and ergonomics specialist helped designing those. The brightness of the lights on a flight deck and how they affect night flying or the shape of the cockpit windows and how the light reflects off of the glass cockpit are both practical examples of human factors in aviation.

But physical systems such as cars and airplanes are not the limits of human factors. Operating procedures and training are also big parts of human factors. One example that I’ve become familiar with while working at Gulfstream is writing SOPs which are standard operating procedures. It’s basically a how-to guide for completing a task. For human factors, SOPs are great because we can design the SOPs to complete a task in the most effective and efficient manner. It is very often that what we design is not the common practice, but the changes made can make the job easier, decreasing workload, physical load, and other factors. ATC is a perfect example of human factors in a non-physical system. Another example would be rearranging an operating room so that the doctors and nurses have all of the pertinent equipment close by rather than having any issues with space and access to important people and equipment.

There’s a lot more to human factors than meets the eye. I’ll be perfectly honest and my HF friends and colleagues will agree that it’s not easy. Some people have the idea that HF majors have it easy, but until you experience what we do, you really have no idea how technical levels. Now, I’m not saying that it’s as hard as or harder than an engineering program. But they’re almost incomparable. Where there is an engineer, there’s a human factors specialist. One cannot exist without the other nowadays.

If you’re interested in pursuing human factors as either a major or a minor, I’d be more than happy to help you out and answer any questions!

I hope this helps explain what human factors is. I’ll be posting more about it further in the summer time. Now it’s time to focus on my human factors work at Gulfstream!

Until next time – blue skies.

Emmy

Weekend Adventures

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Good morning, ya’ll!

It’s a beautiful day to start this week; the sun is shining bright, not a cloud in the sky, the birds are chirping, my air conditioning is fixed – I couldn’t ask for a better Monday. To continue to sad Friday afternoon story, my air conditioning was fixed quickly and efficiently. The guy who came by even took care of the dead cockroach he found (luckily before I did). There is definitely such thing as southern hospitality here in Savannah.

To continue my storytelling, I did go on a solo adventure this weekend up to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Living in Savannah, I’m just inside Georgia on the southern side of the Savannah river and just a quick hop over and into South Carolina. And let me tell you, the drive itself was gorgeous. The trees were so green and the water was so blue. I’ve never stopped in Hilton Head before but I can’t wait to go back in a few weeks. I poked around some local shops and street art, sat and watched the people run back and forth to the beach, but more importantly, I just relaxed. I get all caught up in what I’m doing, whether its work, flying, small projects, scholarship applications, cleaning, whatever else I spend my time doing. More often than not, I’m busy working on something, especially during the school year. After the race and a few weeks back at work, it was so wonderful to be able to take a step back and relax for once.

Now the title of this post implies something to do with cockroaches. Not to gross anyone out, but I do have a story about a cockroach. I promise it’s not that gross or detailed, because I cannot stand cockroaches. They’re disgusting little creatures that roam like they own the place when all they are are pests. But this story also has a lesson to it; just stick with it and you’ll see, I promise.

Now to start, I don’t like bugs. Never have, never will. When I was growing up, Mom was usually the one to get rid of the bugs. I remember one instance when I was 7, I walked into the bathroom, closed the door, and BAM a huge spider was just chilling on the back of the door. No thank you. I screamed, Mom came running, and removed the beast from the premises. I’m pretty sure I used the other bathroom in the house for at least a month before getting over it. But as I’ve grown up, moved away to college 1000 miles away from home, I’ve had to learn to take care of that nonsense myself. Since I’ve been at Riddle, I’ve lived in the dorms. My best friends, my family at this point, are some of the people I met and lived with my freshman year in Adams. I might have griped and grumbled about how lots of juniors and seniors don’t live on campus and trying to explain to my family that, yes I can take care of myself in an unfamiliar city, but I’ve learned so much about myself and grown up because of living in the dorms. I’ve learned how to deal with up to 7 roommates in O’Connor, whether its cleaning up after everyone, splitting the house cleaning work, confrontation and compromises, and understanding that not everyone else has to be up at the crack of dawn and some often like to sleep until noon. It’s an adjustment process for sure, but I’ve made some of the best memories and best friends while I’ve been living in the dorms (sorry, residence halls!). But since living there, I’ve learned to step up and, for lack of a better phrase, be an adult.

So what does this have to do with bugs? Well, this weekend I had a battle against the cockroaches. I stepped out of the bathroom after I had finished cleaning and low and behold there a HUGE cockroach just strolling across the bedroom floor. I gasped, but quickly got my senses back together. I’m the adult here, no one to go running to. I very reasonably grabbed a plastic cup from my prepared anti-bug stash of stuff, and placed it right on top. I removed the bug from the apartment, all on video for my friends to see (pics or it didn’t happen is a very common theme when dealing with bugs), and ran to Walmart to get some traps. I’m currently still in battle with the cockroaches, but I think I won this weekend.

Also, check out the article by Rob Mark on Flying Magazine’s website about the Air Race Classic! It’s a fantastic read – proud to be an Eagle!

Stay tuned for more adventures with me this summer! Headed back to another fantastic and busy work week here at Gulfstream – Until next time!

Blue Skies,

Emmy

How do Airlines Evaluate New Routes?

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Airlines are constantly looking to grow their route network. They do multiple evaluations in order to know if a route will be profitable in the long term or not. Airlines use many programs and tools such as Diio to perform a route study. Diio is an aviation business intelligence data that is used by more than 400 airlines in the world.

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

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

Diio collects data such as fares, routes, airlines, and connections. Airlines using Diio can determine how many passengers are traveling each day (including connections) between Daytona Beach and New York-JFK for example. There is only one daily flight between DAB and JFK (operated by JetBlue) but passengers also travel on other airlines between these two cities. You might have a passenger that has a frequent flyer status with American Airlines and will decide to fly on American with a connection in Charlotte. From a large collection of database, airlines can see the city in which each passenger connected, the airline they flew on, and the average fare they paid for the leg.

An airline will definitely not start a route and fly a Boeing 777 where there are only a few passengers traveling every day between point A and B. It would simply not make any sense to operate an aircraft of such capacity.

Airlines can predict revenue and profitability of a route depending on different times of the day. If the flight is scheduled at a time of the day where there are no possibility of connections to other cities, than the airline might not do as good as a flight that is timed for inbound and outbound connections.

I hope you learned a little more on airlines today!

Until next time,

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

A weekend in Texas

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Hello, again!

I wanted to let y’all know what I did last weekend. Of course, I had to embark on another non-rev adventure! Since it was a long weekend, I had originally planned to go to Honolulu for three days. However, this time around, I wasn’t as successful. I ended up not making it on the flight Friday night, and decided not to risk it Saturday morning.

I knew that I definitely wanted to travel, so I looked for a different destination. I ended up going to San Antonio, Texas! I have always wanted to go to San Antonio, and this was the perfect weekend. My sister and I took a flight Saturday morning, and arrived in Texas that evening. We frantically booked a hotel before we boarded the flight, so when we got there, we took an Uber to the hotel downtown. It was a quick ten minute drive to downtown, which was really nice!

Once we got our room, we went out to the River Walk. The first thing we did was ride a boat down the river. It was an awesome way to discover what all was along the river! It was also nice to have a breeze in your face, since it was 104 degrees! We had a great boat captain who told us about the history of San Antonio, as well as pointed out some local restaurants. After the boat ride, we went to eat dinner. Everywhere was packed, so we just had to choose a restaurant and hope for the best. We ended up going to a BBQ restaurant that had the most delicious ribs! Since we ate so much food, we decided to walk around the River Walk for awhile and look at the shops. There were people everywhere, and it was 11:30pm!

The next day, we woke up early and went to find the Alamo. We were told that it was right around the corner from our hotel, however it took us awhile to find it! The street signs were pretty confusing, but we eventually decided to follow the crowds, and we ended up in front of the Alamo (I was surprised that it was located right downtown). There was a line to get inside, but it was worth the wait! You could feel the history when you walked inside. It was incredible. I would’ve loved to have shown you the inside, but photography was not allowed. Once we were done looking around, we walked from the Alamo to Market Square.

My sister and I at the Alamo

My sister and I at the Alamo

Market Square is about a mile away from the Alamo, so you can imagine that it was a long walk in the heat. I was so excited once we got to the Square because it was filled with decorations and food! I felt like I was in Mexico. The shops were incredible, and there was a Mexican market that had really cool handcrafted items. My sister and I ended up eating lunch at a very popular Tex Mex restaurant in Market Square, called Mi Tierra. We had to wait about an hour, but it was SO worth it!! I would go back in a heartbeat.

Market Square

Market Square

Our next decision was not the best. We thought it would be a good idea to walk from Market Square to the Tower of Americas, which is a tower with an observatory at the top (like the Space Needle). It was about a mile and a half walk. We ended up getting lost, since there was construction blocking our route. We got to the Tower eventually, and we were so tired!! After waiting outside in the heat, we were finally able to get up to the top of the tower. The view of San Antonio was awesome! You could see the Alamo Dome, downtown, and all of the scenery surrounding the city.

Tower of the Americas

Tower of the Americas

The view from the top of the tower

The view from the top of the tower

With that, our journey to San Antonio was pretty much over. I am so glad that I got to experience the Alamo City. It was another city checked off of my bucket list!

Now, where should I go this weekend? I’ll let you know where I end up!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Southern Summers

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Happy Friday, everyone!

Another week gone; one week closer to school, one week closer to graduation, which means one week closer to……… winter. This entire week has been one of the hottest weeks in Florida and Georgia; I feel like I’m constantly living on the surface of the sun. I have a sunburn to prove it too. More often than not, I climb into my car after work and my OAT (outside air temperature) reads 114 degrees. I think there’s a math formula out there that explains that that equals the temperature of the surface of the sun. My goal next week is to try and bake cookies on my dashboard.

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve been planning for this weekend since, well, last weekend. After spending last weekend with my friends back in Daytona, I was excited for another adventurous weekend, but this weekend in South Carolina. What’s the point to spending a summer by yourself, in an unfamiliar city, working at your dream company, without a little bit of travel and adventure? You can’t stay cooped up in the same spot all day, everyday. Go out and explore; see new places, meet new people. It’s all a part of this great internship adventure! Don’t miss out on great adventures and opportunities.

One of the great things about interning with Gulfstream is that the company provides housing to all interns from out of town. I’m very lucky to have this covered by such a gracious company; most interns have to find housing and pay for it out of pocket, but I’ve been lucky enough to have that taken care of for me. It’s a great set up; I’m paired up with a great roommate, thoughtful neighbors, and a great complex. But putting aside all of the amazing perks, we have to remember that this is Georgia in July – it’s hot. And do you know what makes it feel hotter than the surface of the sun? When your air conditioning breaks. On a Friday afternoon. The way I’m looking at it, my weekend can only go up from here.

Here’s to functioning air conditioning, plane spotting, and retail therapy. Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Emmy

Density Altitude is Real

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Hello again, my fellow aviation enthusiasts.

It’s week 2 of being back at Gulfstream since returning from the Air Race Classic. Needless to say, there’s a transition that I’m still stuck in even 9 days after returning. No one, except my mom, told me that there is such a big difference between work and school ethic. School consumes every single second of every day for me. This past semester, I was up at 0445, flying by 0630, class from 0915-1300, working from 1330-1700, at group or individual flight team practice from 1715-1915, and then homework. Forget a social life. Luckily my best friends live with me so we make time to have fun at home.

Now granted, not everyone’s schedule is like this; I choose this crazy busy life, it didn’t choose me. But this gives you an idea of how busy of a schedule that I’m used to. Now, transition here to today. I’m working from 0730-1600 on average and then head home. To do what? Well, I make myself do things. Clean the apartment, write CFI lesson plans, apply for scholarships, apply for jobs, laundry, fun crafts, learning to curl my hair with a straightener, try perfecting a new recipe, FaceTime the dog back home while doing the dishes. But what does this all mean? Why should you care? I am living proof that the way you shape your own college experience (hopefully with us at ERAU!) shapes you into the working adult you will become. Through my choices of classes, clubs, teams, and friends, I have been able to teach myself time management,  self-discipline, self-motivation, stress management, when to call it quits, and of course how to have fun.

The picture above is me and my race partner, Abbie, taking off from Prescott, Arizona.

Pilots always talk about the effects of Density Altitude on aircraft performance. We teach it and discuss it, but you don’t know what you’re up against until you have to deal with it first hand. I’ll try and explain it to the best of my abilities in the simplest terms. Density altitude is the altitude at which your engine thinks that it’s flying. So out in Arizona in the mountains on a hot summer day, as I experienced during the Air Race this year, the density altitude could easily be upwards of 7000-8000 feet. In that case, the engine produces the same amount of power as if it were flying at 7000 or 8000 feet above the ground along the shoreline, except you may be only 2000 feet above the ground in Arizona. Basically the engine isn’t producing the full power that we would like during climb. It takes a little longer to get the airplane off the ground and the climb is slow and gradual. The airplane feels sluggish. To describe going from race mode, a constant “Go! Go! Go! Go, Quick Turn!” attitude and mentality, back to a normal schedule feels like I’m constantly fighting with density altitude. Getting up and ready in the morning takes me a little longer; driving to work, the flow of traffic is frustratingly slow; gathering information from others feels sluggish. Those may not be the best examples, but I guess we can say that we all fight density altitude in our lives everyday, somehow.

I hope you’ve enjoyed following along on a little tidbit of my thoughts over the last day and are looking forward to the next post!

Until next time, blue skies and tailwinds!

Emmy