Feeling the Love

February 11, 2016 / niffer90 / 11 Comments

Soon after I started this blog several people mentioned that it reminded them of how much they used to enjoy the airport… before they had to deal with it every day. After months/years of the “daily grind”, the airport lost its magic somehow. I remember being a bit dismayed. Lose its magic? Oh dear! Will that happen to me too? Well fear not intrepid readers – I’m happy to report that after over a year on the job I still love the airport as much as I did the day I first walked in the door!

The Airplanes

I don’t care how much of a grind my job gets to be, I don’t see anything ever changing my love of airplanes. I’ve seen more planes take off, land and taxi by the window than I can possibly count and I still get just as excited every time. Airplanes are never boring to me. Besides, I never know what might fly in. F-18s, T-38s, KC-135s, and AirForce 2 have all “dropped by” while I’ve been there. Plus I’ve seen some really cool business jets. And you never know what chartered airplane might be sitting on the ramp. There is always something new and interesting to see.

The Ground Equipment

Thought I might not like snowplows as much now that I’ve sat in one? Wrong!!! Sure, I sat in one, but not while it was snowing. Or on a runway. Or in a convoy. Or at night. I still love broom trucks too. And I still love deicing rigs. And ARFF equipment. And mobile conveyors. Basically, if it gets to go tooling around the airfield then I’m a fan. Well… OK, I’m not a fan of the honey wagons (aka lav trucks). Sorry, but I’ve gotta draw the line somewhere!

The Mobile Stairs

Be honest – when I didn’t mention the mobile stairs in that last paragraph you thought maybe, just maybe, I’d gotten over my thing for stairs trucks. Nope! They are still my favorite piece of ground equipment! About a year ago someone with a sick sense of humor parked a set of motorized stairs outside my office where I would have to see it day after day. Can you believe it is STILL parked there – nearly a year later? That’s cruel and unusual punishment! I found out recently that the airport conducts auctions periodically to sell off assets that are no longer needed. I asked if we ever sell stairs trucks and I got a blank stare in return. I had to explain what a stairs truck is. Again. Clearly, I still have work to do!

Things to Look Forward to

I love that the newest K-9 got his picture in the newsletter, just like every other new employee!

There are some interesting events ahead this year. We’re getting a new airline in May. Well, sort-of new. They used to fly to my airport but then stopped a couple years ago. But now they’re coming back and I’m sure there will be quite a bit of fanfare over their return. Speaking of fanfare, we’re just about done with all the construction. Hooray! There is going to be quite a celebration, including the opening of a new gallery featuring interesting artifacts and pieces of airport history. Resurfacing the north runway is scheduled to begin in just a couple months. That means the south runway is going to be a busy place. Right now I do a lot of running back and forth trying to catch as much of the action on both runways as possible, but for 6 months all the action will be going on right outside the department windows. Yay! We are still hoping to make a trip over to Flight Safety to see the simulators. I can’t tell you how awesome that would be! I get super excited just thinking about it. Keep your fingers crossed – I promise I’ll keep you posted!

Airport Tales: Aerosavvy

January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 / niffer90 / 8 Comments

As regular readers know, I love working at the airport. Aside from all the amazing airplanes I get to see every day, I’ve had the chance to learn about (and participate in) some of the fascinating operations that go on behind the scenes. However, my experience is primarily with the airport where I work. I rarely get the chance to travel and check out the goings-on at other airports. For a change in perspective I thought it would be fun to bring in some guest posters to share their experiences. First up is Ken Hoke, aka Aerosavvy. Ken is currently a captain with a major cargo airline. Over his career he has had plenty of interesting airport adventures and he was gracious enough to share some of them!

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Background:

Tell us a little about your background as a pilot, how you got started, what you do now and where your travels typically take you.

I started flying in 1983 as a civilian. After earning my ratings, I was a flight instructor and a pilot for the Tennessee Department of Forestry where I relentlessly hunted down pine beetle infestations and the occasional forest fire. My most interesting mission for the Forestry Department was airborne surveillance of a suspected arsonist (we caught him). I also flew a variety of charter flights hauling car parts, people, and freshly harvested human organs (eyes, hearts, and heaven knows what else). My next stop was flying live humans for a regional airline.

I currently fly international routes on the 757 and 767 for a package express company. Most of my flying these days is in Asia.

Airport Stuff:

Penang Airport, Malaysia (Photo by M. Radzi Desa, Creative Commons License)

Favorite airport to fly into/out of (in terms of approach/departure) and why:

One of the prettiest arrivals that I fly is to the island of Penang in Malaysia. Gorgeous. I also like Hong Kong. The controllers are some of the best in the world and the approach/departure scenery is stunning.

Most challenging airport you have flown into/out of and why:

Shanghai is my number one. It’s supremely busy, and to make matters worse, the controllers speak Mandarin to Chinese pilots and English to everyone else. I usually have a headache by the time I get to the hotel. (China ATC will be changing to all English by 2017 – I’m glad they didn’t go the all Mandarin route!)

Changi Airport. Wait… an airport with a pool? Are you kidding me??? (Photo by Robert S, Creative Commons License)

Favorite airport to visit (in terms of facilities) and why:

Hands down, Singapore. Changi is one of the most pilot and passenger friendly airports in the world. They have a complex grid of taxiways made super easy to navigate with a computer controlled taxi light guidance system. Following the green centerline lights will guide you to the correct runway or parking bay. And the terminal… a passenger can spend hours wondering Changi; plenty of shopping and activities (including Singapore’s tallest sliding board!).

In your opinion, what qualities make for a good airport (as a pilot and as a traveler)?

Clear signage to gates, baggage claim, and ground transportation. More importantly, a variety of restaurant and coffee choices!

Kansai International Airport. (Photo by Jpatokal, Creative Commons License)

Airport/FBO you’ve been to with the best coffee? food? Other amenities?

It’s not very exotic, but I’ll take any airport terminal with a Starbucks open at odd hours. The staff at the KIX Starbucks (International Gates, Terminal 1) is awesome.

Strangest airport-related incident:

While flying a Metroliner (twin engine turboprop) for a regional carrier we hit a dog (maybe fox or coyote?) while taking off from a small airport. The animal ran onto the runway as we rotated. We heard and felt a thump as it struck the bottom-rear of the fuselage. Tower confirmed the mishap after takeoff. A ground crew was dispatched to remove the deceased victim from the runway. No damage to the aircraft. My first (and only) dog-strike. coyote pic

Best airport-related moment:

We’ll file this under “Most Interesting” instead of “Best.”

I’m a brand spanking new first officer on a Metroliner loaded with 19 passengers. These smaller planes don’t have flight attendants so the first officer does the safety briefing over the PA from the cockpit. As I begin the briefing (“Welcome aboard XYZ Express with non-stop service to Nashville…”) the gate agent hands the captain his paperwork, pulls the cockpit curtain closed, and places her tongue inside my left ear, swirling it in a counter-clockwise fashion. As would be expected of any professional pilot, I finished the briefing without missing a beat. The captain said my face was red for the entire flight. Ah, the good ole days!

Worst airport-related moment:

I was a young J-31 Jetstream Captain (I looked about 16, and really wasn’t much older). It was the first flight of the morning in Tri-Cities, Tennessee (TRI). The airport had been hit with an ice storm, leaving our aircraft encased in ice. Even after deicing, the maintenance technician was unable to get the aircraft door open. The flight was cancelled and I was rescheduled to fly later in the afternoon. Now the fun part…

Clearly I was not the person handling deicing that day!

After the announcement was made that the flight cancelled, I made my first mistake by venturing to the gate to talk to the agent. I was met by a well dressed man with a briefcase. He asked me if I was the pilot for the Nashville flight. My second mistake of the day was answering “yes.” He was the only passenger scheduled on the flight and had convinced himself that we cancelled to avoid flying only one person. Explaining the problem didn’t help. He proceeded to throw the mother-of-all tantrums for the benefit of the gate agent, myself, and the custodial staff. If I had an iPhone, the video would have been internet gold. If it had been post 9/11, he would have been hauled off in handcuffs.

I should mention that he was an exception; most of our passengers were awesome.

TWA Flight Center at JFK (Photo by Acroterion, Creative Commons License)

Prettiest airport and what criteria did you use to make that decision?

As far as terminals, I love the old TWA Flight Center at JFK. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the building was the future in 1962. Saarinen also designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch – he was a genius.

Is there anything airport staff can do to better support you?

Provide unlimited coffee for all crew members and airport personnel.

Yay plows! (Photo by Roland Balik)

If you could operate any piece of airport equipment/vehicle, which would it be?

I would love to drive a monster snow plow; the kind airports like Anchorage or Minneapolis use. They’re awesomely HUGE. A firetruck would be fun, too!

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’ll save the story about two kids barfing in the aisle of a Jetstream for another day. 🙂

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Wow! Thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to share with us Ken! Ken has an awesome blog full of interesting and useful aviation information that you won’t want to miss. Check it out at Aerosavvy.com. You can also follow him on twitter – @Aerosavvy.

Airport News Roundup

January 6, 2016January 7, 2016 / niffer90 / 1 Comment

Go ahead and admit it – you were just wondering what has been going on lately in the world of airports. Well today is your lucky day! Not only have I gathered up the latest airport news, but I also provide my (somewhat warped) take on it, free of charge! You’re welcome!

Psst! Wanna Buy an Airport?

Apparently Normal Manley Airport (NMIA) in Jamaica was accepting bids from potential buyers to privatize operations. However, the bidding closed recently… without any bidders! What??? Why in the heck didn’t someone let me know about this? No, I don’t have the millions of dollars I’d likely need, but hey – think of all the fun I could have had with a Go Fund Me account! And just imagine what an airport owned by me would be like! Airport shuttles? Taxis? Tugs? Oh heck no! We’re gonna use STAIRS TRUCKS for all of that. And since airplanes are the only things more awesome than stairs trucks, as owner of the airport I would work hard to get the coolest and widest variety of airplanes to fly in. I suppose I’d also have to take care of mundane stuff like passengers, terminal maintenance, security, yadda yadda yadda. Did I mention stairs trucks?

Here We Drone Again

Police Blotter: Drone caught trespassing on airport property! (Photo by Peter van der Sluijs cc)

A drone was spotted by the crew of a Jet Blue flight near the approach to runway 22 left at Boston Logan Airport on New Year’s Day. Um hello… what about DO NOT FLY DRONES WITHIN FIVE MILES OF AN AIRPORT don’t people understand? Most drone owners are responsible and law-abiding. It’s those few careless/clueless drone owners who are ruining it for all the rest. The only people who tick me off more than reckless drone operators are people who shine lasers at airplanes. Speaking of which…

LA Tops the Laser List

According to the FAA, there have been more incidents of people pointing lasers at airplanes in Los Angeles than in any other US city – a total of 197 through November of 2015. 197? Are you kidding me??? What the hell is up with that? Seriously Los Angeles, stop! Just stop it!

Happy Birthday Heathrow!

800px-Heathrow_Control_Tower_(6151313288)

Today’s Weather: Partly cloudy. Wait… partly cloudy in London? Are you sure? (Photo by Tony Hisgett cc)

London’s Heathrow (LHR) airport opened for commercial flights 70 years ago. 70? Wow! Happy Birthday! That’s really something! Except… Well actually now that I think on it, my airport opened in 1929 which makes it 87 years old. How on earth did a medium-sized airport in the heart of “flyover country” manage to get started ahead of LHR? That just doesn’t seem right! Well congrats anyway Heathrow. And what took you so long? Hee hee hee! Speaking of Heathrow…

Breaking news: I swear I had nothing to do with this!

Heathrow Expansion Delayed. Again.

Apparently some people are pretty upset that Heathrow has once again delayed making a decision about either adding a third runway, or extending an existing runway. Speaking as an employee of an airport that just built a new runway in 2013 and is in the planning stages of building an entirely new terminal, let me just say that expanding an airport is no small task. Before you can even think about making changes of any magnitude, you must first complete a large number of assessments, engineering reviews, environmental impact studies, wetland mitigation plans… the list goes on and on. Then you have to figure out how to fund the expansion. You can’t just jack up everyone’s rates or they’ll simply stop using your airport. I don’t know how long LHR has been dragging its feet on this and I’m certainly not trying to defend them. However, I do have to say I’m not at all surprised and I wish them the best!

This just in: Eastern Airlines Jet tries unsuccessfully to elude paparazzi by hiding at the FBO

Screening for Fake Bombs?

A recent Air France flight had to make an emergency landing in Kenya after a fake bomb (made of cardboard and sheets of paper) was discovered behind one of the toilets. This is the fourth incident involving fake bombs and Air France in the last few weeks. So wait… hiding fake bombs on airplanes and scaring the heck out of everyone with them is a thing now? What on earth is wrong with people??? Don’t they have anything better to do? Airport security is already very busy attempting to make sure no one sneaks real bombs onto planes… now they’re being asked to screen for fake bombs too? You’ve got to be kidding. I can just see it now: “Sorry little Suzy, but your licorice could be used as a fake fuse on a fake bomb so I’m going to have to confiscate it.” I’ve got a better idea – how about pax stop constructing fake bombs and taking them on airplanes! Duh! And lastly…

Airplanes Play Bumper Cars at ORD

There have been a couple of incidents recently involving planes and trucks running into each other at O’Hare airport. The most recent occurrence happened on Sunday, January 3 in which a fuel truck smashed into the wing of a GoJet flight (operating as United Express). I know what you’re thinking and no, I was NOT at ORD last Sunday night!

In a statement released on her blog, Jenn said: “I’m not in that fuel truck. I did not hit any airplanes. I am not using a stairs truck to make my getaway…”

ARFF To The Rescue

December 17, 2015 / niffer90 / 4 Comments

I have mentioned in previous posts that it’s common to see ARFF (Airplane Rescue and Fire Fighting) out on the airfield. In fact, there are days when it seems like ARFF is EVERYWHERE. And no, it isn’t because they are protecting the mobile stairs from me. (The airport police handle that.) Although I’ve seen ARFF providing medical assistance inside the terminal, I’d never seen them assisting an airplane in trouble until recently. And then it happened twice in 24 hours!

Emergency #1 (Maybe?)

About a month ago I was enjoying my lunch break as I often do – plane spotting on top of the parking garage. I happened to see an airplane on approach to runway 28L. I looked down to fiddle with my camera when suddenly something didn’t sound right. I looked back up in time to see that the plane on approach had decided to abort and go around – right over my head!

Much to my disappointment, my airport is not on LiveATC, nor do I have a functioning scanner so I am not able to listen to communications with the tower. Otherwise I would have had a better idea about what was going on. I decided to hang around a bit and wait for the plane to come back in and land. By now I had lost sight of it, but I figured it would likely try again on 28L so I walked over to that side of the garage and I waited. And waited. And waited. I’ve been watching airplanes come and go long enough now that I have a pretty good idea of how long it should take to get back on final. This seemed to be taking quite a bit longer than usual.

image1 (1) Just as I was thinking I would have to give up because my lunch break was almost over, several ARFF vehicles came blasting out of their facility on the eastern edge of the airfield and took up positions along 28L. One fire truck was near the start of the runway, one was along taxiway C1 and another was along taxiway C3. Then there was an ambulance and a smaller ARFF vehicle waiting on the ramp.

At long last the plane appeared once again on approach to 28L. It seemed to take forever before it finally got its wheels on the ground and then it made the shortest stop I have ever seen an airplane that size make. As soon as it got stopped the ARFF vehicles quickly surrounded it. I couldn’t tell from my vantage point exactly what they were doing, but the airplane sat on the runway for several minutes. Then finally it began to taxi down the runway, with the ARFF vehicles following behind. I expected it to turn towards the terminal and head to a gate to let the passengers off. Instead it went directly to a maintenance hangar. I realized then that the plane had been able to stop so quickly because it didn’t have any passengers or luggage on board. I never did find out what exactly happened with this airplane, or even whether it officially declared an emergency. However, given the ARFF response it seems likely that it did.

Emergency #2 (Here We Go Again!)

The next morning I was chatting with a coworker when we heard sirens which grew louder and louder. Sure enough ARFF went blasting down the ramp and took up the EXACT same positions as they had the day before. My coworker is one of those lucky souls whose cubicle is along the windows, so she has a clear view of 10R-28L from her desk. Several of us crowded around to watch out the window. About that time the department manager appeared. He gets text messages whenever there are emergencies at the airport. He told us that the plane coming in had reported brake problems and a possible flat tire. He noted that if the landing went horribly wrong the plane could easily careen into our office. Then he wished us a nice day and left. (Have I mentioned that he has an incredibly dry sense of humor?)

Undeterred we continued to watch out the window. As before, the plane landed and managed to stop very quickly. Not quite as fast as the plane from the previous afternoon, but still much more quickly than usual. Once again the plane was immediately surrounded by ARFF vehicles. Once again it sat on the runway for several minutes. This time, however, when it finally started to taxi it turned towards the terminal and headed for a gate with all the ARFF vehicles in tow.

Closing The North Runway

During both of these events planes continued to land as usual on the north runway, which allowed airport operations to continue without too much disruption. However, all that will change next spring when the north runway will be closed for 6 months for resurfacing. During that time we’ll be operating as a one-runway airport.

As you can imagine, this involves a LOT of extra planning. If there is an emergency that forces the closure of the south runway, flights will have to be diverted. We are extremely lucky to have the cargo airport nearby. It has parallel runways and can easily handle whatever passenger traffic needs to be sent there. Even something as basic as airfield mowing has to be carefully scheduled. You can’t mow near an active runway, and if there is only one runway you can’t shut it down for mowing. So all mowing and regular maintenance activities will have to happen in the wee hours of the morning when there aren’t any regularly scheduled flights. Since it’s

The view from Concourse C! At last!

not exactly very sunny here in the middle of the night, the airport is going to have to bring in special lights so the maintenance crews can see what they are doing. Airlines that operate out of gates near the closed runway will have longer taxi times, which will impact the amount of fuel they’ll use. For all these reasons, the decision to close a runway is not made lightly. But in this case the resurfacing is needed and in the end it will be worth the hassle.

I, of course, am unreasonably excited about the closure because it means the south runway will be very busy. I happen to be a I park next to it. My department windows look out on it. There should be lots of good plane spotting opportunities next summer. And when ARFF gets called to the rescue again, I’ll have a front row seat! I promise to keep you posted.

One Year Bloggiversary!

December 1, 2015June 28, 2017 / niffer90 / 10 Comments

Can you believe it has been one whole year since I started this blog? Wow! I wasn’t sure whether I’d last one month, let alone 12 of them… in a row! But 30 posts and 1,564,456,489 words later (I just made that number up – I’m too lazy to go back and count) the blog is still going strong!

My First Year Of Blogging – Top Five

1. The Airport!

Not coincidentally, this week also marks my one year anniversary working for the airport. I can hardly believe it! One year of daily plane spotting! One year of resisting the temptation to ride the baggage carousel! One year of being taunted by the motorized stairs parked right outside my department! Seems like just yesterday I was getting lost in random staircases and trying to figure out how to get to Concourse A. Although my job can sometimes be stressful, I LOVE every moment of being at the airport. I get to see airplanes taking off and landing EVERY DAY. How freaking cool is that? I love being a part of the aviation industry, and I hope I get to continue for many years to come.

2. Emirates 777

Let’s see… I got to stand out on the apron and watch the first official flight of an Emirates 777 into the cargo airport, complete with a water cannon salute AND a stairs truck. Heck yes this is one of my very favorite moments from the last year!

3. Tour of the Airfield

Driving around the airfield, riding in a broom truck and, best of all, zipping up the runway in a shuttle bus! Yep, this was an AWESOME experience! I hope I get the chance to do something similar at the cargo airport.

4. Oshkosh 2015

Osh was awesome in so many ways… I got up close and personal with a stairs truck, sat in the cockpit of a FedEx A300F4 sat in the cockpit of a Sequoia Falco, saw more cool airplanes than I could begin to count and got to meet some really awesome people. Osh is, without a doubt, my happy place!

5. All of YOU!!!

I am so humbled and thankful for everyone who has taken the time to not only read my silly ramblings, but to share them with others! Thank you all so very much! I do want to take a moment to send a special thanks to a few people. I’m including their twitter handles because if you aren’t following them you are really missing out.

Eric Auxier (@Capnaux) and Dan Pimentel (@Av8rdan) who are not only excellent authors/bloggers, but who were brave enough to allow me to guest post!

– Ken Hoke (@aerosavvy), Ron Rapp (@RonRapp1), Lew W (@atclew58), Jeff Kanarish (@atc_jeff), David (@davidvlynn) and Jeffrey Roehr (@JR_justJR) who have given me a tremendous amount of support, and whose blogs have been wonderful sources of information and inspiration.

Blog Trivia and Give-Away!

OK all you long-suffering readers – how much do you remember from the last year? Here’s a chance to put your knowledge to the test! Check out the questions below and email your answers to talesfromtheterminal@gmail.com or DM them to me on twitter, and I’ll enter your name into a drawing to get a pack of airport trading cards. (There are three cards in each pack – one for each airport.) I’ll pick two winners. You don’t even have to get the answers right – I’ll still put you in the drawing. Heck, you don’t actually even have to answer at all – just tell me you want in the drawing and I’ll put you in. You have until December 9, 2015. Seriously, it doesn’t get any easier!

1. Who lives in the house next to the north runway?
a) CFO
b) Head of Airfield
c) CEO
d) Me!

2. What event led me out onto the apron for the very first time?
a) Fire Alarm
b) Stairs Truck sighting!
c) Airfield tour
d) Going to a different concourse

3. How many escalators are in the airport?
a) 17
b) 23
c) 32
d) 41

4. Which of the following is NOT one of my favorite plane spotting locations?
a) Employee Lot
b) Top of the parking garage
c) Concourse C
d) Concourse B

Airport Vehicle Personality Quiz!

You all know how much I love airport ground support vehicles. And by now you know which one is my favorite. But what about you? What ground support vehicle is your spirit animal? Take my airport vehicle personality quiz and find out! It is completely non-scientific and totally silly but then again, so are pretty much all the other personality quizzes out there. I took the quiz myself and, of course, I got STAIRS TRUCK! (Duh – what else would I get?) Check it out and let me know what you get!

Airport Revenue Poll – The Answer Revealed

If you follow me on twitter then you might have seen my poll in which I asked followers whether they think my airport makes the most revenue from airline fees, concessions, hangar/tenant rent or parking. You may be surprised to learn that the answer is NOT airline fees. The process of determining what to charge airlines for landing fees, etc. is complex and involves a lot of different factors. The fees need to be acceptable to the airlines or guess what? They’ll simply fly somewhere else! As for the other poll choices, my airport does make some money from concessions as well as from rent paid by the various tenants and from hangar and tie-down rental. However the largest percentage of revenue comes from… parking! Well done to everyone who got it right!

So, What’s Next?

What will year 2 at the airport hold? Only time will tell! However, I’m fairly certain it will include more silliness, more airport vehicles, more airplanes and, of course, MORE STAIRS TRUCKS! Stay tuned!

My Excellent Airfield Adventure

November 18, 2015November 18, 2015 / niffer90 / 7 Comments

DISCLAIMER: All tour participants had the necessary security clearance to be on the airfield. The tour was an approved and sanctioned event. All airfield and ATC protocols were followed.

It’s no secret that I’m fascinated by airport operations, especially all that cool equipment they use the keep the airfield running. As a result, I’m sure the Airfield Maintenance (AFM) team keeps extra locks on the vehicle sheds, just to be safe. So imagine my surprise when my boss announced that my department had been invited on a tour of the airfield. Um… SERIOUSLY??? The AFM guys are either really brave or they totally under estimate my capacity for mayhem.

This plane was practicing approaches during the airfield tour.

Our big adventure began with the AFM supervisors picking us up in a shuttle on the ramp right outside our office. We then went on a drive around the airfield perimeter which allowed us to get a close-up look at the de-icing pads, glycol tanks, fuel farm and ILS equipment. While they were driving, the AFM supervisors pointed out various systems, facilities and landmarks. They kept saying things like “Does anyone besides Jenn know what an Instrument Landing System is?” “Does anyone besides Jenn know what RVR stands for?” When they weren’t talking I was bombarding them with questions. Here are some of the things I learned:

– Airlines are responsible for their own de-icing, but Airport Operations is responsible for directing airplanes into and out of the deicing pads. The busiest time for this (outside of snow events) is on winter mornings when the first planes to depart have to get the frost removed from their wings. The rush begins right around 5am or so.

– Airfield Maintenance, Airport Operations, Engineering and ATC meet every Thursday morning to discuss any maintenance or other work that needs to take place in and around the runways in the coming week. (They call this the NOTAM meeting.) They try to coordinate the work as much as possible to minimize runway closures.

– Airport Operations is in charge of clearing any debris from the runways. However, if debris is reported and airfield maintenance is already working in the area, they are often called in to handle it.

– At the passenger airport the ILS system and other NAVAIDS belong to the FAA. This is apparently the norm at many airports. The FAA flies around to the various airports and tests the equipment to make sure it is functioning properly. Interestingly, the ILS and NAVAIDS at the cargo and GA airports belong to the airport authority.

One of the oddest things on the airfield – this plaque which marks the place where an old cemetery used to be. This cannot be seen from the road and unless you know where to look, you probably wouldn’t notice it from the air either

– Any wetlands that are disturbed/destroyed as part of airport construction must be replaced by one and a half times the acreage affected. When the south runway was built in 2013, a wetlands area had to be filled in. As per regulations, a new wetlands area was established on the south western corner of the airport property.

– Like any other airport, mine deals with its fair share of bird strikes every year. If the number of bird strikes goes above a certain level, the USDA will step in to assess the situation. Other pests the airport has had to contend with: mice, moles, voles and groundhogs. (A few years back they removed over 300 groundhogs from the airfield!) The proliferation of small rodents in turn brings in larger predators, like hawks and coyotes.

– Runways are inspected and maintained regularly. Cracks are sealed to prevent water from penetrating the runway surface and causing further damage. Cracks above a certain size (I can’t remember the exact dimensions, but smaller than you’d think) can force the closure of a runway or taxiway. Likewise, the grassy areas surrounding the runways must be flat and level. Any ruts or holes (even from something as simple as sending mowers out when the ground is too wet) will force the closure of the runway and must be repaired immediately.

One of the sensor pucks buried in the concrete and used to monitor runway conditions.

– AFM and Ops work together to handle runway maintenance in winter conditions using the old ATC tower as a base of operations. There are sensor “pucks” built into the pavement in various locations on the taxiways and runways. These sensors give information not only about the surface temperature, but also about the composition of the liquids on the surface. There are also temperature sensors below ground. If it is freezing above ground, but warmer below ground, they might be able to delay de-icing procedures. As one of the supervisors put it, managing runways in the winter is part science and part art form. (Salt is NOT used to deice runways as it is very corrosive to airplanes.)

– Plows with metal blades are used to clear the taxiways and the apron. These plows can remove the snow very effectively. On the runways they have to use blades with castors and rubber bottoms to avoid ripping out the in-ground runway lights. (If a light is ripped up it creates a hole in the runway which means the entire runway must be shut down – not good!) These plows cannot clear snow as effectively, so they are used in conjunction with brooms.

– Because it is fenced off and does not have public access, you do NOT need a CDL to operate a plow on the airfield! However, most AFM employees do have their CDL licenses so they can plow the streets and lots around the airport.

I prepare to go for a ride in the broom truck!

Our tour of the perimeter concluded on the northern side of the airport near the AFM facilities. We disembarked the shuttle in a large, mostly empty tie-down area where several pieces of equipment were waiting for us, including a snowplow and a broom truck. We were then told to choose a vehicle and hop in. They even said we could drive if we wanted to! As you might imagine, I was beyond excited!

Having already sat in a plow I decided to climb on board the broom truck. A very nice man (whose name I forget) drove me around and showed me how the broom works. I can only imagine what operations and ATC thought at the sight of a bunch of accountants and finance people tooling around the perimeter roads in heavy equipment. Although I was seriously tempted, I opted not to drive. Remember how ruts in the grass can shut down a runway? Yeah, that would totally be my luck!

NOTAM: This runway will be closed for approximately 6 months next year to undergo resurfacing.

Once everyone had a chance to check out the airfield equipment we hopped back in the shuttle with one supervisor while the other supervisor hopped in a truck ahead of us. To my amazement he proceeded to contact the tower and request permission for us to drive up runway 28R-10L. At this point I officially lost my mind. Ever since I started my job nearly a year ago I have DREAMED of getting out on one of the runways, but never really expected it would happen. Next thing I knew we were cleared onto the runway and off we went. Oh. Heck Yes!!!!! A Delta plane was taxiing towards the entrance of the runway and I can only imagine what the pilots thought when they saw us drive by.

Yup, that’s a runway all right!

FO: “Tower, this is Delta 123 – I’d like to report a rogue shuttle bus on runway 28 Right.”

ATC: “Roger Delta 123. That’s the accounting and finance department. They’re… um… conducting an inventory audit of the airfield. That’s right – all fourteen of them have to be driven up the runway so they can confirm it exists.”

Even more hilarious is the fact that we didn’t drive straight up the runway. Oh no – we were weaving around because the AFM Supervisors were trying to find the sensor pucks to show us what they look like.

RVR sensor

FO: “Tower, this is Delta 123 again – are you SURE that’s not a drunk shuttle driver on the loose? They’re weaving all over the place!”

ATC: “Um… Negative, Delta 123. They’re… um… counting lights. Yes, that’s it. You know, as part of the audit.”

We exited the runway where instructed but the supervisors weren’t happy because they hadn’t been able to find any of the sensors, so we got permission to cross the runway where we finally located one of the pucks on the taxiway. At this point we had made almost a full loop around the airport property so the shuttle took us the short distance back to our office and the tour concluded. As you might imagine, I was on cloud 9 the rest of the afternoon. What an awesome experience! This definitely ranks up there as one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do as part of my job. Now all I need is to get behind the wheel of the stairs truck! And get a tour of the airfield at the cargo airport! And watch them unloaded the 747-8 cargo planes! And get inside the ATC tower! And…

Snowplows and Jet Fuel and Zombies, Oh My!

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015 / niffer90 / 3 Comments

I’m sorry, but we’ve had complaints about the jet fuel smell so I’m afraid Im going to have to ask you planes to leave.

It has been an interesting few months at the airport. A very cool Boeing 757 came for a visit (along with some government official person or other) and four F-18s Super Hornets stopped by. Plus I finally figured out where the other FBO is located! Seems like there is always something new and different going on. Here’s a round-up of some of the latest happenings in my little corner of the terminal.

Disaster! No, Not Really

It’s disaster preparedness time! I was given the opportunity to sit in on a briefing for a disaster drill that is going to be held at the GA airport at the end of the month. They’re keeping the exact scenario secret, but we were told that participating agencies include various police and fire departments, EMS, Med flight, multiple hospitals and health agencies, SWAT, the FAA, and the FBI. Oh and a barbeque restaurant. Hey wait a minute… health agencies? SWAT? A barbeque restaurant? This can mean only one thing: Zombies! Oh. Hell. Yes. I want in! But only if I can be a zombie. I’ve heard that volunteer victims often get transported to hospitals which are running simultaneous drills of their own so it can be hours and hours before they get released. As a volunteer zombie I figure I’ll get shot quickly, after which I can spend the rest of my time hanging out with the FBI participants, Agents Mulder and Scully.

Snow to the Plow

Our fall luncheon was held last month over at one of my very favorite places – the air field maintenance facility (where a lot of the way-cool ground equipment is kept). When one of the supervisors caught me admiring a snowplow he unlocked the driver’s side door and issued a challenge: if I could climb up there he’d let me sit in it. OK, first of all, you’d think all the air field people would have thoroughly been briefed by now. “Whatever else you do, do NOT allow her near the ground equipment!” Secondly, I’m sorry but did you say IF I can climb up there? Are you kidding me? Hell yes I can climb up there! At first I was just excited – holy cannoli I’m behind the wheel of a ginormous freaking SNOWPLOW! But then I realized that quite a crowd had formed. The next thing I knew the official event photographer was there and you guessed it – a pic of me in the plow now graces the pages of the quarterly newsletter. And for the record, getting into a plow is easy. Getting out, however, is a whole other story!

Trading Cards!

The Dreamliner doesn’t want to share.

Apparently airport trading cards are a thing. Who knew? My airport has joined the fun and during the luncheon we were each given a set (since we actually manage three airports the set has three cards – one for each). There were lots left over so I took a few extra sets. I have it on good authority that ORD is also part of the trading card trend. Anyone out there have an ORD trading card that they would be willing to swap? PLEASE let me know! As for the rest of the sets, I’m thinking it might be fun to do some sort of giveaway. Stay tuned!

Living on the Edge

If you’ve read my Blog Post About Blog Posts, or if you follow the aviation scene on twitter, then you are already familiar with Captain Eric Auxier. He’s a blogger and author who flies airplanes for a major US airline in his spare time. His most recent book in the Code Name: Dodger series just came out. I was super excited to get my copy so I decided to take it with me on my lunch break. I wandered blissfully through the terminal and was riding the escalator when I suddenly realized that I was surrounded by security agents. And then I remembered that I was carrying a bright yellow book with the words JIHADI HIJACKING emblazoned on the front. Um… oops! Fortunately they didn’t notice and they all got off the escalator on the next floor. Phew! Thank goodness I didn’t try to take it through security! If you’re looking for a fun read you definitely should get this book. Just be careful if you take it to the airport!

Nice landing! You can expect an invoice for landing fees in about a month. Enjoy your visit!

Looming Pilot Shortage – Not Kid Stuff

October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 / niffer90 / 4 Comments

There has been a lot of talk recently about the looming pilot shortage. The high cost of training and poor pay at many regional airlines are two potential causes. However I believe there is a serious contributing factor that has so far been completely overlooked – and it’s lurking in your child’s toy box. I am, of course, talking about the deplorable selection of airport playsets available to children today. You might be asking yourself, what on earth could be wrong with an airport playset? As it turns out, quite a lot.

Are you kidding me with this?

At first glance this airport playset seems harmless enough. The construction is durable and the runway placement looks OK. There’s a cafe located right next to the airfield with no perimeter fencing in sight, but I think we can let that slide. The real trouble comes when you take a closer look at the ATC tower. No, you aren’t imagining things, that’s a dog working air traffic control! What the… ! Seriously? Who is the Tower Supervisor here? Scooby Doo? And I don’t even want to think about what is going on over at Center! Is it any wonder that a child using this play set might look over at the family pooch and think, “Screw this! No way in hell am I going to be a pilot!”

This Is All Kinds of Wrong!

There are so many issues with this next playset that I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, the runway is on top of the airport. Really? Who on earth thought this was a good idea? Even more troubling is the fact that the runway begins/ends directly in front of the ATC tower. This, coupled with the absurdly short runway length, pretty much guarantees disaster. Either planes will tumble off the edge of the airport roof, or they’ll slam into the tower. I think the designers of this toy are hoping that we’ll be so excited that the air traffic controllers are actually human we’ll overlook the fact that the airport is a death trap. Yeah… I don’t think so! You might be able to fool a one year old with this set-up, but by the time the child learns to talk his/her first words are going to be: “Pilot? NO!!!”

Seriously, What the Heck!

By now you’re probably thinking that an uncontrolled airfield would make for a better playset. You don’t have to worry about Astro working approach and the risk of carnage is a bit lower. I mean, how hard can it be to design a realistic runway with no buildings or ATC towers to deal with? Apparently too hard. Allow me to introduce you to this airfield that appears to have been added to a train set as a random afterthought. The only building in the area is a helipad which is freakishly large in comparison to the runway. And once again the runway placement is questionable. Right next to a road? Really? And why is the road longer and wider than the runway? It’s almost as if toy designers are deliberately trying to scare off future pilots.

No, Just No!

I know what you’re thinking. These airport play sets seem a bit dated. Surely modern sets are better. I thought the same thing. And then this happened. Behold the Boeing airport set purchased just a few months ago. Notice anything peculiar? How about the fact that the ground equipment is completely GINORMOUS compared to the airplanes? I mean just look at how the stairs truck towers over the Dreamliner. Now you know I love a good stairs truck, but a monster stairs truck that’s capable of trampling a large airplane? OK fine, I still love it. Most kids, however, would likely be completely confused if not downright terrified.

So What Do We Do?

If the dog in the ATC tower doesn’t kill you, the dog working the rental car counter will!

Think these are isolated examples? Think again! Next time you are bored, google airport play sets. I dare you! You think canines running ATC is bad? One play set has a truck handling air traffic control. Yes, you read that correctly. A truck! Do you think Charles Lindbergh or Amelia Earhart would have taken to the skies if they had been forced to play with these nightmares disguised as toys? I don’t think so! If we’re to cultivate the next generation of pilots, it’s time to stop the madness. Contact Hasbro, Mattel, Little Tykes, American Girl Doll, your representatives in Washington, and the Pope and let them know what is going on here. While you’re at it you might want to contact the SPCA too, just in case.

Too Much Time At The Airport?

September 24, 2015September 24, 2015 / niffer90 / 1 Comment

Is it possible for an avgeek to spend too much time at the airport? My first impulse is to say, of course not! Airports are where the airplanes are – too much is never enough! However, recently I’ve noticed that the line between life at the airport and life at home is getting a little blurred. For example, I was driving the other day and saw a white truck ahead of me. My first thought was, “Oh look, an operations vehicle. I wonder what number it is.” (All operations vehicles on the airfield are white with red numbers on them.) Of course then I remembered that I wasn’t at the airport and the white truck… was just a white truck. Doh! Think this couldn’t happen to you? Don’t be too sure! Avgeeks are especially vulnerable. Know the warning signs!

You might be spending too much time at the airport if…

– You hear school bells ringing and immediately think, “Someone is moving a jet bridge!”

– Your car breaks down and you find yourself calling for a tug instead of a tow truck.

– You prepare for security screening every time you see someone wearing a royal blue shirt.

– You wish you had a ground crew to load/unload groceries (as long as you didn’t buy eggs or anything in breakable jars).

– You are considering installing a de-icing pad at the end of your driveway to clear the snow off your car in the winter.

– You’d like to take pictures at the family birthday party but don’t because that would require you to delete airplane pictures from your phone.

– Then a really cool plane flies over so you make the sacrifice and reluctantly delete one of the 16 pictures you took of that interesting charter plane last week.

– You name your dog “Gear” just so you can yell, “Gear down!” when it tries to jump on people.

– Likewise your cats are named Cessna and Piper.

– Any time you are around or near airplanes you find yourself reaching for your SIDA badge.

– “Attention in the house, attention in the house – would the party who walked off with the TV remote please return it to the couch in the living room. Thank you.”

– You consider installing perimeter fencing around your property to keep out solicitors.

– You would like to do background checks, issue access badges and set up mandatory screening areas for your daughter’s boyfriends.

– The flag hanging in front of your house is a windsock.

– You use coordinates instead of an address to explain where you live.

– You want to set up a localizer in your yard just because it looks cool.

– You find yourself searching online for good deals on used Stairs Trucks.

In other news…

If you’ve read my post about Airport Jobs I Wish I Had, or my recent guest post on Capn Aux’s blog, then you know why this picture is so funny… and so incredibly scary. I guarantee the guys at Airfield Maintenance are busy changing the locks and hiding the keys!

Yes that’s me in the driver’s seat of a snowplow. No, I’m not kidding. Be afraid. Be VERY afraid!

Why Airports Need More Avgeeks

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 / niffer90 / 4 Comments

In many ways airports are like small cities – they have their own shops, restaurants, transportation systems and police departments. It makes sense that while there are some positions that require aviation expertise, for the most part you don’t need to be an avgeek to be a good airport employee. That said, the airport could definitely use more avgeeks. Here are a few reasons why:

We Love Where We Work – Even on Mondays

How many people do you know (other than pilots) who LOVE their office? I mean really love it to the point where they think about stopping by on their days off, not to work but just because it’s a cool place to be? How many people do you know who love the PARKING LOT where they work? Bottom line – an avgeek at the airport = a kid in a candy store, even on Mondays.

We’ll Take On Annoying Tasks… Because Airplanes!

It’s time to help with inventory? Ugh. Wait… it’s time to help with inventory at the FBO where all the cool cargo planes land? Oh hell yes! Sign me up! Wait… There’s stairs trucks and tugs and deicing equipment there too? Sweet! Can we take inventory every week???

This was today’s mail. Even though it is fastest to go across the apron to take it to my office, I chose to slog the long way around. Why? Because one gust of wind and the mail would have been getting sucked into jet engines and causing all kind of mayhem and I couldn’t let that happen. Because avgeek.

We Take Safety Personally

The company that maintains our navaids discovered recently that it’s not a good idea to forget to send invoices because I WILL call and ask for them! Why? Because if the navaids stop functioning it could be bad. Very bad. That’s not going to happen on my watch! I may not be allowed to de-ice airplanes or plow runways, but I can make sure the systems that help support a safe landing remain operational.

We Actually Understand Aviation

No, you don’t need to understand aviation to be a great airport employee. But let’s face it – SOMEBODY ought to understand why airplanes are cool and how ATC works and what the heck navaids are. SOMEBODY should represent at Osh and celebrate National Aviation Day. The fact is, my love of aviation means I’m going to go the extra mile in my job. Of course, it also means I’m going to take pictures all the time, walk the long way around to my desk so I can look out the windows and continue to pester the air field guys to take me out in the plow.

We Get Excited Over Minor Things

At a non-airport job, recording lockbox payments is necessary and important but not very exciting. At an airport job entering lockbox payments is also not very exciting… unless you’re an avgeek in which case it’s another opportunity to geek out. Look – here’s a payment from FinnAir! And Emirates! And Kuwait Airways!

Flight Crews – We’ve Got Your Back

Avgeeks aren’t necessarily pilots or FAs, but we have a better understanding than most people about what those jobs entail. So flight crews – when you’re anxious to get on the shuttle so you can get home for the first time in five days, we understand. We’ll make room for ya. And we won’t pester you with a million questions, even though we REALLY want to.

Avgeeks Wanted!

I often hear, “You work at an airport? Wow – you’re so lucky! I wish I could do that!” Newsflash – you can! You think I have some kind of special talent that allows me to work at the airport? Ha! If anything I’m a poster child for how a regular person who happens to like airplanes can find a way to work in aviation. So unless you live far away from an airport, there’s no reason why you can’t work there if you want to. My airport even has a volunteer program so you can go and act like you work there, just not get paid for it. This would sound terrible to pretty much anyone… except an avgeek. “You mean if I volunteer I get a parking pass for the employee lot? Awesome!!!”

Now there are TWO of them!!!

	niffer90 on Parking Airplanes & Feelin…
	PB Avionics on Parking Airplanes & Feelin…
	Ron Rapp on Osh Madness – 2025 …
	niffer90 on Osh Madness – 2025 …
	Ron Rapp on Osh Madness – 2025 …

Tales from the Terminal

adventures at the airport and other random musings

Author: niffer90