Ireland – Part 1

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Nicolas

Now that my internship is over, I have a week of vacation before heading to Daytona Beach for my third year of university. Over the past week, I visited Ireland with my family. This is first part of a two-part story.

Day 1 – Travel from Canada to Europe

The first day of the trip was a travel day. We first flew in the evening from Montreal (YUL) to London (LHR) on an Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER. We landed the next morning in London and had a two-hour layover before catching a flight to Dublin (DUB). The flight was operated by Air Canada’s partner Aer Lingus.

Starter: smoked trout Niçoise said with roasted garlic aïoli.

Appetizer was served after takeoff on the flight to LHR: smoked trout Niçoise said with roasted garlic aïoli.

Day 2 – Travel from London to Dublin and Arrival

My family and I arrived at our hotel in downtown Dublin at around noon. For our first lunch in Europe, we had tea accompanied with an assortment of sandwiches, scones, and pastries. It was pretty good! In the afternoon, we walked and explored the city. We ate our first dinner at our hotel.

Walking in the streets of Dublin.

Restaurants, bars, cafés, and shops.

Day 3 – Guided Tour of Dublin

The next day we had a private guide to show us the city and its culture. We toured the city with the guide for about three hours before heading to lunch.

Trinity University

Christ Church Cathedral

Day 4 – Travel from Dublin to Killarney

We rented a car and drove from Dublin to Killarney. It was a four-hour drive south west of the capital city. One big thing that is different in Ireland unlike most countries in the world is that people drive on the left side of the road instead of the right. It can get confusing, especially at road intersections. Also the roads there are really narrow.

The speed limit on these roads can be up to 100 km/h (62 mph)!

We arrived at our new hotel at noon. After lunch, we took a walk close to our hotel. The concierge said that the 10-kilometer trail would take us an hour but it actually took way more than that! The views were amazing though.

View from our hotel.

View of our hotel.

Day 5 – Golf at Waterville

The next day we drove to a small town named Kerry. We had to wake up at 5 in the morning because we had an early 7:50 tee time, and the golf course was located at about 1 hour drive from our location. We played 18 holes at the Waterville Golf Links. It was very windy and cold and we lost many golf balls.

Waterville Golf Links

The course is recognize as one of the best in Ireland.

In Part 2 (Days 6 to 10), I will go over the second part of the trip which brings us to a new destination in Ireland. Playing another round of golf and hiking is on the menu.

Nicolas

Coming to a close

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Emmy

Hello again readers! Another busy weekend kept me from my computer, so I’ll have a few more updates this week.

I think everyone can agree with me that this summer has flown by (both figuratively and literally). It feels like yesterday I was up in Ohio competing at NIFA SAFECON and here I am now packing up my apartment to head back to the good old DAB. So this means that people are starting to leave and the internship program is coming to a close.

To celebrate all 190 intern and co-ops’ success this summer, Gulfstream’s Collegiate Programs put together an amazing evening of networking and celebration with many directors and Vice Presidents of the company. It was an evening of remembering where we were 4 months ago sitting in our first introductory training course to where we are now, pursuing our own projects and publishing formal documents and conducting real-life tests and evaluations to further product development. They had a slideshow of pictures that all of the interns submitted from their summer adventures at Gulfstream and in the Savannah area, so it was really interesting to see what else the interns did this summer. I wasn’t the only one to visit the Grand Canyon either which was awesome to see!!

But it’s amazing to compare your experiences with others. There were over 190 different Gulfstream summers experienced and we were all in the same room to share our stories and celebrate our accomplishments. I heard about intern positions that I didn’t even know about (did you know there was a Flight Ops internship?? I didn’t!! How exciting!) and different labs and office environments and schedules. It’s pretty amazing to hear about all of the diversity throughout the Collegiate Program and the company.

There was delicious food and good music and lots of people. It was very interesting to see all of the departments represented that evening. Departments I had never heard of and groups I couldn’t wait to learn more about. I spoke with Chief Pilots, Engineering Managers and Directors, and Company Vice Presidents. It was truly an honor to be able to represent our great university within such a prestigious group.

My favorite part of the evening was the promotional video that some students put together, about their time as an intern or co-op. I love seeing how different we all are, in our majors, schools, departments, and interests. However, the one thing we all have in common is a love for aviation and a love for Gulfstream. You can’t work for a company as dedicated to aviation without loving it first. If you don’t love what your doing and what you’re a part o, then how are you supposed to perform at your optimum level? It gives you goosebumps when you realize what you’ve been a part of, even as small as an intern. I know that my projects have helped further product development in one way or another.

Back to work for me (only 10 days left!) – until next time.

Blue skies,

Emmy

Welcome to the Club(s)

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Emmy

Hello, readers!

I know that when you’re looking at colleges, you’re not just looking at your degree program, you’re also looking at the things you can do there. Some people even pick their school based upon what they can do, not necessarily what they’ll study. Hopefully you’re looking at Riddle because you’re excited to study one of our degree programs offered in Daytona, but also because of the endless opportunities the university has to participate in something bigger than yourself.

Of course, we have a great athletic department, which is greatly increasing in size as we transition to NCAA. We have fantastic teams that compete very well! I have many friends on Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball, and Basketball. It’s a great place to embrace your sport either from high school or from just pure interest, and be able to explore the collegiate opportunities there.

We have a few sororities and fraternities on campus as well; I’m not as familiar with Greek life, but I know plenty of people who are involved and absolutely love their Greek family that they’re a part of!

In terms of the clubs we have at Riddle, if you can think of an idea for a club, we probably have it. SCUBA diving, skydiving, sport aviation, rowing, motorcycle enthusiasts, archery, gaming – whatever it is that you enjoy, we probably have it. And if we don’t, its SO easy to create your own club. If you and a few friends want to have a movie critique club and can find a faculty member to sponsor it – go for it. (We might even have a club that does that, but I’m not sure – don’t quote me on that!). Flight Team, for example, is a club that isn’t designated as an AS (Aeronautical Science) only team/club. We have HF (me!), engineers, and mechanics alike. Go out there and see what’s there and have fun. The most important thing is to find something that you love and have some fun!!

As I’ve said in a previous post, I think it’s so important to be involved in some club or team that isn’t associated directly with your degree program. You get to meet people from other degrees and other countries and nationalities that you might have had the opportunity to otherwise. You might meet the people that’ll be your friends for life. It’s also a great place to network – meeting professors and other faculty members may become your mentors, your go-to people with personal and professional aspirations. They might also give you opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have – for example, I am serving as the Region IX SAFECON President for our Regional competition this fall for Flight Team. I wouldn’t have had such the honor if I hadn’t stuck my neck out and joined the team.

Above is an image of me flying N53ER, the Flight Team’s old precision landings aircraft, the Maule MXT-7-180 Comet. Photo taken by Zack Wilkinson, Summer 2014. Another advantage of doing something outside of your major might include flying airplanes you wouldn’t normally fly!

Above is an image of Ernie flying with me up to Virginia for the 2015 Women’s Air Race Classic. You never know where your team might take you! Mine teams have taken me across the country and back, literally.

There’s a lot to be said for research though – make sure you’re participating in at least one research project while you’re in school. It definitely doesn’t have to be for all 4 years, it can be for a semester or even a summer. The knowledge you can gain simply by participating or assisting in research can have end results that you might not even a imagine (a job offer maybe?!).

It’s intimidating trying to fit into a club or group with people you don’t know – I completely understand. But my best advice is to do something out of your comfort zone and have fun! Meet new people, do things you wouldn’t normally do (like skydiving!), and enjoy your time outside of class and study time. That’s what college is all about!

Every semester, the school hosts an Activities Fair, which is an opportunity for students to see all of the clubs and teams and Greek life you can be a part of! It’s a lot of fun (you never know what cool free stuff you can find….) so I encourage all of you to check it out if you’re on campus!

Enjoy the rest of your week – back to work for me!

Blue skies,

Emmy

Flight Team!

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Emmy

Hello, readers!

I’ve probably bored you with my endless talk about Gulfstream and Human Factors and living the life of an intern, so what about something else from Riddle?

Besides studying Human Factors at ERAU, I’m also a member of the Eagles Flight Team. The Eagles Flight Team is a part of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA). We compete at a Regional and National level against some of the best flight teams in the Nation.

It’s very important that as a student at ERAU, that you find something to be a part of that is outside of your degree program. It gives you a more well-rounded college experience. You meet people from different degrees that you wouldn’t normally meet and it gives you something else to do other than homework. You feel like you can be a part of something bigger than yourself. Plus you never know when you might be able to represent your university on a regional or National level!

On the Flight Team, we compete in both ground and flight events. For our ground events, we have what we call the Big Three. They’re named this because we can send 5 competitors for these eventsi n competition – no other ground events can have 5 people compete! They are Aircraft Recognition (Rec), Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (SCAN), and Computer Accuracy (COMPACC). Rec is just as it sounds; we identify aircraft by manufacturer, number, and model name (e.g. Cessna 172 Skyhawk, Douglas DC-3 None, Grumman F-14 Tomcat). We’ve won First Place at Nationals for the past 7 years, so you can say that we’re pretty good at what we do. SCAN is basically like mock-cross country flight planning. You must answer 40 questions regarding a flight plan within 60 minutes. The test includes, performance, weight and balance calculations, weather knowledge, FAR/AIM knowledge, and much more. COMPACC is a math-based event, focusing on answering performance questions by using a CR-3, a flight computer. I myself am a Reccer (as we call ourselves) and a SCANimal. I absolutely love these events; what I learn from flight team in these events has truly helped my overall abilities as a pilot.

We have several other ground events that you can participate after one semester on the team. We have preflight, ground trainer, IFR sim, and CRM/LOFT that you may participate in.

Besides ground events, we also have our flight events! These include Power-On and Power-Off Landings, Navigation, and Message Drop. The goal of Power-On and Power-Off landings is to land as close to the Zero Line as possible. The lower the points, the higher you place. Navigation is about flying the perfect cross-country based upon the flight plan you plan. Message Drop is a really fun event: you drop “message bombs” (they’re just Styrofoam pieces) out of the airplane and try to get them to land on a target. It’s a lot like flour bombing, like pilots used to do back in the old days.

In my three years at Riddle, I’ve served as the Public Relations Officer and the Captain of the team. I absolutely love being with this team, practicing and competing.

I’ll post more about how you get on the team and what that entails in a later post! Just wanted to spark your interest of the amazing things you can do as an ERAU student.

Until next time….. Blue Skies!

Emmy

Network Planning Internship Wrap-Up

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Nicolas

Today is my last day as a Network Planning Intern at Air Canada. I started the internship at the beginning of May after my spring semester at Embry-Riddle. I will give a brief summary of my amazing experience.

Boeing 787-9 (Photo Credits: Air Canada)

Boeing 787-9 taking off at Toronto-Pearson International Airport (Credits: Air Canada)

Aircraft Programs
I began my first two weeks with the Aircraft Programs group. For the first week, I shadowed an aircraft program manager while he was performing his duties of post-delivery activities at an MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) close to Montreal. The airline had just received a brand new Boeing 777-300ER (77W). I tested the seats, tray tables, IFE (inflight entertainment), reading lights, and various galley compartments. The aircraft entered into commercial service a few weeks after.

Economy section of an Air Canada B777-300ER

The second week was very exciting as it was my first business trip. I travelled all the way to Seattle because Air Canada was going to take delivery of its 19th and last 77W. I met with the same aircraft program manager at the Boeing Everett Factory. During the first few days, we tested the systems in the aircraft, a bit similar to what we did the previous week in Montreal. We were looking for any defect the plane had before it would be handed off to Air Canada.

Chicken or pasta was served as the main course on the flight to Seattle (Credits: Author)

My last day in the state of Washington was probably the best. I had the opportunity to fly on the jump seat of the aircraft that was going to be delivered to us the next day. The flight had a duration of about 2h45 and included a touch-and-go and a go-around at Moses Lake (KMWH). Many tests were performed by the flight crew and by mechanics and engineers throughout the flight. The pilots extended the flaps and the slats during the flight. The speed brakes were also deployed for a short period.

Flight path of the aircraft (C-FKAU) via FlightRadar24.

I really enjoyed my week at Boeing Everett Factory. I would like to come back to Seattle soon as I did not have the time to truly visit the Emerald City. I learned a lot about Aircraft Programs in the short two weeks I spent with them.

Network Planning
Right after I returned from my trip to the West Coast, I started working in Network Planning. I was part of the long-range team that planned the flight schedule about a year before it is actually flown. I assisted in planning the schedule for North America, which includes Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Network Planning works closely with other departments such as Intermediate Scheduling, Aircraft Programs, and Revenue Management.

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

Before I started my internship, I did not know all the items that are taken into account when scheduling a flight. We need to take into consideration aircraft maintenance, turnaround times, flight connectivity at hubs, ideal departure times, flight crew duty time and aircraft types. Our team also analyzes past performance to see if we should add frequencies or put a larger aircraft on a route.

Besides planning future flights, Network Planning consists of expanding the airline’s route network. I had the chance to sit with a few co-workers as they explained me how an airlines evaluate new route opportunities. In one month this summer, we introduced 10 new international routes to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Since May, Air Canada launched 11 routes to the United States.

On June 3, Air Canada launched non-stop service between Montreal and Casablanca (Credits: Air Canada)

I really enjoyed the time I spent this summer in Network Planning. Air Canada has a great team of passionate and energetic aviation enthusiasts. I am proud and honored to have been able to play a small role in planning the schedule for the upcoming seasons.

Summary
I am proud and happy I got the opportunity to get a summer internship at an airline in the aircraft programs and network planning department. This is my second summer in a row doing an internship. Last summer, I worked as an intern in the finance department at Aéroports de Montréal, the authority that manages the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. So far, I got to experience both the airport industry and the airline industry. After experiencing both, I can definitely say that I belong to the airlines.

Last year on this same day, August 3, I said in my blog: “Now that I have experienced a job in an airport, I would like to go work at an airline in the near future. We’ll see what happens next!” My wish has come true this summer! Next year after I graduate from Embry-Riddle with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Business Administration, I wish to go work full-time at an airline. In about nine months, we will see if my dream can be fulfilled for a second time!

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Working for Gulfstream

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Emmy

Now that ya’ll have some idea of what it is that I do as a human factors engineer, you might be a little curious to see what I do at Gulfstream – or what it’s like to work at Gulfstream.

For us Riddle kids and engineers, Gulfstream is a dream company. Everyone wants to intern there, get a first job with them. In the eyes of the students, it’s a competitive company to be selected for, with high requirements and qualifications. You have to stand out of a massive crowd to be selected for a position with Gulfstream. I know I’ve wanted to intern and work for Gulfstream since 10th grade and here I am!

Your first day at Gulfstream is a little overwhelming. You got through a morning of paperwork and briefing, pictures and group projects. At Gulfstream, there is a program called Gulfstream University, which basically teaches you everything you need to know about the Gulfstream culture before you actually start your job. You spend two days with them going over leadership plans, history of Gulfstream, what it means to work at Gulfstream, and general rules and responsibilities as an employee. Gulfstream is very thorough; you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into when you go through training. It’s a very serious company as well. They are very proud of the work accomplished and the work ongoing. Don’t forget, we create and deliver the finest aviation experience here at Gulfstream!

I wouldn’t say that the rules and regulations that you follow as an employee of Gulfstream are strict as they are necessary. At first you might think “well why can’t I do this?” or “why does this rule exist?” They’re there to protect us, the employees, and the company as a whole. I don’t want to make it sound like there are lots and lots of strict rules – there aren’t. It’s a very enjoyable experience to be able to work for such a strong, developing company.

From my previous posts, you know that Savannah is a beautiful city and there’s always something to do! Depending on where you live in Pooler or Savannah, the offices are really close. Easily within a 15 minute drive.

Now, each department is different, so I cannot speak on their behalf – only for HFE (human factors engineering). You will have to do presentations and write papers everywhere you go – it’s just part of the job working in industry. One thing that I’ve learned while I’ve been here is that when you’re really into a project you’re working on, you can easily lose track of time and end up working 2 hours of overtime. It happens, but all that means is that you love what you’re doing!

I can’t go into too much detail about my job, like what exactly that it is that I do, but I can tell you with the utmost confidence that I LOVE working for Gulfstream and I LOVE human factors engineering. It’s the perfect combination of my passion for aviation and a great challenge. I love it!

With only about 3 weeks left, it’s sad knowing that I’ll be leaving soon! Now, I’ve had a pretty abnormal summer for an intern, competing in two National flight competitions (NIFA SAFECON and the Air Race Classic), but if you only do the internship, it’s 13 weeks of the most fun you’ll have during your summers as an undergrad (or grad!).

Can’t wait to see what these last two days of the work week bring to my desk!

Until then, blue skies!

Emmy

Human Factors Success Tips

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Emmy

Hello again, Riddle fans!

While doing my work this week and throughout the summer at Gulfstream, I’ve realized that Human Factors involves way more than we’re taught in school! The major project that I’ve been working on this summer has me working with several departments within the company, but also with companies across the country. It’s taught me what, besides my formal education, can make or break your success at a company.

What could this possibly mean? Well, human factors is already a mix of engineering and psychology, so what else could possibly be thrown in this mix? Well I’ve learned this summer that Human Factors is more than that. Human Factors is more than user-centered design, maintainability, ergonomics, and all of the other subsections of the topic. To be successful in Human Factors, you have to have more than just the GPA and number of projects you’ve completed.

To be successful, you have to be a quick-thinker and decision maker. You never know when an urgent project might drop on your desk and you have 2 days to get your human factors requirements out. This happened to me this summer; I had to assist another engineer with designing a new component for a customer and had to have a quick turn around on my inputs. At the same time, you have to be great at time management; you had to balance the new project AND the other projects piling up on your desk.

You to be a fast and great technical writer. Within the HF program at ERAU, yes we do have to write a bunch, but the way the program is designed, your growth as a technical writer is very structured. You always know exactly what and how you’re supposed to be writing. The professors are amazing sources on improving your writing abilities, too. Our Research Design class, which you normally take your second or third year in the program, teaches you step-by-step the technical and research report writing methods that are commonly used in industry. I can definitely say that that class and what I’ve retained from it has greatly influenced my time here at Gulfstream. Because of my writing skills gained from that class, I have been able to work on tougher, bigger projects that not many, if any, other interns are working on.

You have to be patient with those around you. Not everyone understands HF like real Human Factors Engineers and students do. You have to be able to explain why your input and requirements matter to the overall project; how they’ll assist in the outcome and why. Here at Gulfstream, Human Factors is very well received and understood, but other smaller companies might not be as familiar.

My last tidbit of success-in-HF advice (for now!) is you have to be confident in your understanding, knowledge, and abilities with Human Factors. Others can pick up on your confusion and lack of confidence really quickly. You also might have to fight for your input to be considered seriously; sometimes HF requirements and input can be lost in the overall development of something because some engineers are more concerned with completing the project and don’t think about the user. That’s why we exist!

If you have any questions about Human Factors, leave them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer.

Until next time, blue skies!

Emmy

Family – Living away from your home away from home

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Emmy

Hello, readers!

I apologize for not posting at the end of last week. My week got slightly more chaotic than I anticipated. Too much work and not enough time to do it!

I had the pleasure of hosting my mom at my apartment, graciously given to me by Gulfstream for the summer. To be honest, I’ve never had a parent come and stay with me before at somewhere other than where we live as a family (so basically our family home). So naturally, I wanted to be able to prove to her that, yes, at 21, I can too live by myself and take good care of myself because I’m an adult. Well, I’m supposed to be an adult, but that’s debatable. I spent 3 days after work cleaning (more like sanitizing), organizing, ironing, folding, rearranging, anything and everything that I saw my mom do when she would prepare the house for guests. Except this is my mom and is just impressed that I’m where I am, regardless of how I live.

While she was visiting, we called our time together her “vacation from her vacation” and my “vacation from my problems”. She wouldn’t let me do the dishes or my laundry or even cook. She just wanted to do “mom-things” as she explained. We traveled to a different beach in a different city each day, which really was like a vacation for me. The beach isn’t as easy to get to in Savannah than it is in Daytona at ERAU. We’re spoiled, but I can’t complain about living near the beach!

We shopped, ate great food, swam, and even just lazed around the apartment. What I often forget about, now that I’m living on my own, is how nice it is to be around my family. Of course I miss them like crazy when we’re apart, but you sometimes forget about how much fun and relaxing being with family is. But living on my own has changed my relationship with my mom, in a good way! We’re less of mother-daughter and more like best friends. Of course, she always has her “mom” moments, but we work things out differently. It’s very hard to explain other than it’s like a best-friendship.

Being away from home for college is always tough on the family at first, but it’s completely worth it. My parents saw me grow as an adult and I saw that their constant watching over me at first was nothing more than them just making sure I was happy. That can often get lost for some people. Just remember that you don’t want to push away your family when you move off to college! They’re your best and greatest assets. Take care of them like they take care of you. You’ll have best friends for life! Plus then you can have family “vacations from your vacation” or a “vacation from your problems”, which are too much fun. Riddle does a great job keeping parents involved with the university at different functions, like Parent & Family Weekend for example. Riddle takes care of everyone, not just the students!

Give your mom a hug and have a fantastic week readers!

Blue skies,

Emmy

Everyone has those days and makes mistakes

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Emmy

The best way to sum up this week so far is that it’s ok for an intern to make mistakes. It’s been one bumpy week and it’s not even Friday yet.

Let me give you a quick recap (and when I mean I quick I mean it; not a whole lot of time to write this week!):

Monday – not too bad of a day for a Monday. Slow morning, slow to get in the groove of the day, but worth while. Knocked out some work that needed to be completed and got it out prior to its deadline.

Tuesday – Rough morning. Woke up to a cockroach lollygagging across my bedroom carpet. That’s the third one I’ve found in a week. Just what I need at 0530. What a warm, southern welcome from nature. Spent 3 hours working on a project, only for its priority to change. Rather than being due in 4 weeks, it’s due in 2. Not that big of a deal, but I came to learn that I had to re-do the work I’d already done because of a detailed wording change. No biggie, but I had to re-do my work…

Wednesday – Focused in really deeply on working on that project due in 2 weeks. So much so that I missed a department meeting. Once I had realized what time it was, no one was in the office except for me and I had no way of getting to the meeting room because of my limited access. I tried to reach other people in the meeting, but because they were all in the meeting, I couldn’t reach them. So I took one for the team and kept on working.

Thursday – We’ll see what happens; something is bound to happen!

If there’s anything I’ve learned this week, it’s that the perfect time to make mistakes is when you’re an intern. It’s perfectly fine to make mistakes as an intern; you’re not supposed to have perfect work. Sure my ego is a little shot for having missed the meeting and screwing up the work, but now I know not to make that mistake again. Hopefully the rest of this week will go a little more smoothly than the beginning.

I guess here’s to making more mistakes and making better impressions!

Stay busy this week and enjoy the beautiful weather! I have an exciting weekend planned; stay tuned to hear about the adventures!

Blue skies,

Emmy

Filing a New Flight Plan

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Alumni

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 4^th 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 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

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

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Ireland – Part 1

Coming to a close

Welcome to the Club(s)

Flight Team!

Network Planning Internship Wrap-Up

Working for Gulfstream

Human Factors Success Tips

Family – Living away from your home away from home

Everyone has those days and makes mistakes

Filing a New Flight Plan