Back to Reality… Spring Break Recap

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Lindsey

Hello again!

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

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

Some of us at the Women in Aviation Conference

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

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

Standing in front of the Grand Ole Opry

Inside the Grand Ole Opry

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

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

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

On top of the Empire State Building

Times Square

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

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

Standing with President Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial

The National Mall

The White House

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

Until next time,

Lindsey

A Day in a Full-Motion Flight Simulator Center

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Nicolas

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

Flightdeck of the Bombardier Challenger 300

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

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

Bombardier Challenger 605

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

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

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

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

My Favorite Places on Campus

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Jack

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

#3: The top of the maintenance building

#2: The statue at the end of Legacy Walkway

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

What are the “Hippity Haps” for this week?

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Billy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cue the CSI Miami music.

It snowed in Daytona Beach.

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

Ah, the new residence hall.

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

Monday’s Update

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Skye

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great night!

End of Class, Research Paper, Interviews, Exams

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Nicolas

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

The Daytona 500 Weekend

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Nicolas

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

Daytona 500

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

Joey Logano’s Ford Fusion in the garage

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

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

The Thunderbirds!

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

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Countdown to Spring Break

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Skye

Happy Saturday everyone! It has been a crazy few weeks on my side so I do apologize for not writing a blog in a bit. However, I am back…and so are the bikes! The 75^th Bike Week is here. Starting yesterday, bikes from all around the country have come down to Daytona Beach for Bike Week 2016. Fun for them, but the traffic is a little bit of a bother.

On the Space side of things, SpaceX finally launched their Falcon 9 with SES-9 yesterday at 18:35:00 on the dot! The original days of launch, last Wednesday and Thursday, I was actually at Kennedy Space Center on restricted ground about 2.8-3.0 miles away from the launch pad. She was sure a beauty! It was really cold there. Even though the rocket never lit, it was still a nice experience seeing a rocket up close. SpaceX then rescheduled for this past Sunday but at less than T-5 seconds and counting, the engines ignited but did not have enough trust to the launch was aborted. After all that mumbo jumbo, she finally launched last night and it was beautiful. I was in Port Orange at that time but seeing the light in the sky fade into a nice parabola into a geotransfer orbit was the best part of my day. I did find out that the satellite deployed nominally. Congratulations for another successful launch and deployment SpaceX!

Keeping on the subject of Space, I am really starting to get involved as a NASA Solar System Ambassador! I have been getting updated on teleconferences up the wazoo, as well as, starting to plan my events for SSA. It is going really well. I will soon have a lot more time on my hands, another story for another time, so I can focus more on SSA. I am excited for the future!

I also registered for Fall classes on Friday. I am super excited to be taking

Physics II for Engineers
Statics
Business Statistics
Technical Report Writing
Spacecraft Payloads
Human Factors in Space

Yep, that is 18 credits but I am up for the challenge!

This semester is certainly going by fast! I have a calculus test on Tuesday so I have been studying all day for that one. I will be taking a break later tonight for Dinner and a Tribute to Bon Jovi concert for the Family Fun Days in Port Orange. Other than that I have a paper due next week but nothing super heavy. I am really excited for Spring Break! On Friday, Josh (boyfriend) and I are leaving for Chicago. We are staying there until the following Tuesday. On that same week, we are going on a cruise Thursday-Sunday for my parent’s 20^th wedding anniversary. Super excited for that! I am going to try and not gain 200 pounds from the all you can eat buffet! I will be sure to get my workout on!

That is what has been happening and what is about to happen in the life of Skye right now! The Countdown to Spring Break is definitely on!

Have a great one!

Quick Update

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Jack

It’s been a busy few weeks at Embry-Riddle. For President’s Day/Valentine’s Day

A large heart made out of rose pedals at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

weekend, I went back home to Houston, Texas, and it was nice to spend the weekend with my family and local friends. Plus, I did receive some exciting news while en-route home for the weekend, but more will come later.

After I got back, I have been quite busy between work and school. This semester feels a bit different since I am taking a lot of my upper-level classes. This is the time where the rubber meets the road as in I am beginning to see how a lot of my classes connect; this helps keep my attention and engaged as many new connections are made.

Meanwhile, there are lots of big projects coming up. For example in my Airline-Airport Operations class, we are in small groups and will write a paper and give a presentation investigating something airline and airport related, and in my Business Information Systems class, we are writing about the “back end” of a business (which includes privacy policies, social media policies, software, and many other parts). Plus, we have started on our big Tech Report Research Paper.

The count down until Spring Break is on! Just one week to go.

Two Week Recap

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Lindsey

These past two weeks have been full of excitement and memories! As I mentioned before, the Daytona 500 was two weekends ago. Luckily, the weather cooperated, and it was a beautiful day for some racing!

We woke up early on Sunday morning to walk over to the track. There were people and cars everywhere! The roads were all at a stand still. Thankfully, Embry-Riddle is close enough to the Speedway, so it wasn’t a bad walk at all. Once we got to the Speedway, we walked around and looked at all of the vendors. There were tons of merchandise tents, as well as a lot of food options. After a few hours of walking around, we went up to our seats and took in the sunshine and wonderful views.

Standing outside the Daytona International Speedway

After the Florida Georgia Line concert, and the driver introductions, it was time for the Thunderbirds to do a fly over! As always, it’s one of the coolest moments of the race. Sadly, my hometown driver, Kasey Kahne, didn’t win the 500, but it was still a fun experience! The last lap of the race was the most exciting part. I am already looking forward to the next Daytona 500!

The view of Turn 1 from our seats

Last weekend, the sorority which I am a member of, Sigma Sigma Sigma, had our formal. Normally formal is held at a hotel or resort, where you have a nice dinner and spend time with friends. This year, our sorority decided to do something different…

We went to the Crayola Experience in Orlando. It is a huge building that is all about Crayola Crayons. It was fun to do something out of the ordinary! We got to make and name our own crayons, see how crayons are made, and even take a picture that was turned into a coloring page!

It has been a great two weeks. Now it’s one more week until Spring Break! I can’t wait to head off to Nashville, South Florida, New York City, and Washington D.C. over break! I will let you know all about it!