When I walked in the door of the airport nine years ago, I was sure that this was the last job I’d ever have. I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to work anywhere else. There were airplanes outside the office – what more could an avgeek like me want?
But I’ve learned that what happens inside the office has a huge impact on how I experience what happens outside the office… or if I experience it at all. Eventually it reached the point where I barely noticed the airport around me. Finally I made the difficult decision to move on.
I could go into the gritty details of all the things that led to this decision. However, I think it would be a lot more fun to look back at some of the amazing adventures I got to have. It is hard to rank them, but I’m going to try. Cue the countdown theme music!
5. Visiting ARFF
Back in 2019 my deparment took an afternoon off to head next door and visit our friends over at the ARFF station. For those who don’t know, ARFF stands for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting. They are the crews tasked with responding to emergencies on the airfield. We got to tour the station, see where they sleep, eat and train. We also got to sit in the fire trucks. Your inner three-year-old is absolutely correct: fire trucks are cool! The ARFF team did a demonstration for us, including how they are able to penetrate the skin of an aircraft to spray foam or retardent on the inside.
4. Time on the Taxiway
In late 2017 Delta began to recieve the first A350s into their fleet. The plane itself was still fairly new having entered service only a couple of years before. Designed primarily for long-haul flights, it isn’t the sort of plane that would be used at my airport. However, Delta decided to fly in as part of a series of acceptance and training flights. I, of course, had plans to be on the garage so I could get plenty of pics. Imagine my surprise when one of the Operations Managers appeared at my desk and asked if I’d like to ride out onto the airfield and watch from there instead. Would I? Are you kidding me? We parked on a taxiway and I got to watch the plane land right in front of me. It was amazing! And then when it was time to depart we parked on a different taxiway off the end of the runway so the plane took off right over us. Again, amazing.
3. Time on the Runway
The first time I ever went on one of the runways as an airport employee I was in a passenger shuttle. Someone from airfield maintenance was driving around trying to find one of the pavement sensors. Since then I’ve been on the runway many times. I worked at the water station during the Runway 5Ks which was located about half-way down Runway 28 Right. I was even allowed to drive a shuttle up and down that runway. (What on earth were they thinking?!) The runways are the heart of any airport. They are central to the airport’s existence. As a non-pilot who doesn’t travel that much, being able to be on the runway and get close to the lights, the markings and yes, the pavement sensors, was a real treat for me.
2. Four ATC Towers and a Tracon
The Airport Authority manages three airports which have four towers between them. I had the pleasure of visiting all four. Two are contract towers – one at the cargo airport and one at the general aviation airport. One is a former ATC tower, now used as a base of operations during snow events. And one is an FAA tower with a tracon. Being able to visit these facilities and see the controlers at work was quite an adventure. Seeing several types of towers at multiple airports with different levels of traffic gave me a much better understanding of the ATC system. And let’s face it – ATC towers are cool. I could never get tired of the view.
1. Working on the De-ice Pad
Of all the amazing avgeek things I got to see and do while working at the airport, this was hands-down the most exciting and unexpected. In the fall of 2016 I was approached about whether I’d like to train to assist on the de-ice pad. Uh… are you serious? Heck yes!!! At the passenger airport the Operations Department is responsible for managing the flow of traffic into and out of the pad on frosty mornings and during snow events. This is done by driving an airport vehicle around the pad and communicating with pilots, ATC and others via the radio. As a humble accountant I never in my wildest imaginings ever thought I’d get to do something like this. I got to tell pilots what to do. And they listened to me! I got to drive around on the ramp. And somehow everyone survived!
So, what’s next for me? That’s a good question. I’m taking some time to decompress. Then I’ll be doing some part-time freelance bookkeeping work for a friend while I look for my next big adventure. If you know anyone who is looking for an accountant with avgeek tendencies (or an avgeek with accounting tendencies), let me know.
And what about the blog? The blog will definitely continue. You can take me out of the airport, but you’ll never take the airport out of me. Interesting things are going on at airports everywhere and I have nearly a decade of experience that will allow me to bring them to you with a critical eye. Plus I have stories still to tell and plenty of aviation adventures ahead. Stay tuned!
I hate this time of year. I work long hours and it’s a struggle to get away from my desk. When I do get a moment free it is either too wet, too cold or too dark to go outside. Just the other day an Osprey flew in and all I could do was watch sadly through the office window. This is so not OK! Maybe the lack of airfield action is why I’m a little obsessed with winter operations. OK, actually, I’m a lot obsessed. But let’s face it – no other season allows me to get my fix of airplanes and big, awesome ground support vehicles all at the same time!
If you have been reading this blog for awhile then you know that last year I got the opportunity to help the Ops department manage the flow of traffic into and out of the deice pad. There was a lot to learn and it was kind-of stressful, but it was also incredibly cool. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to help out this year and I miss it SO MUCH! Wait… did I just admit that I miss being at the airport at 5am in freezing weather? Yes, I did. I know it sounds crazy, but I really enjoyed making a hands-on contribution to keeping the airport up and running.
Preparation for the winter season actually begins in August. That’s when the airport starts stocking up on the chemicals and other supplies needed to aid in snow removal. In early fall we start hiring winter seasonal employees and the Airfield department recruits for additional snow warriors from among the other departments. I know what you’re thinking. If they allow other airport employees to help out in the winter, why on earth have I not jumped all over this opportunity? Please refer back to paragraph number one. Sadly, winter is the busiest time of year in accounting and it just isn’t possible to take on anything else.
This year we added serious muscle to our snow removal capabilities with the purchase of six multi-function machines. These ginormous vehicles have a plow on one end and a broom on the other. They are capable of moving huge amounts of snow in a fairly short amount of time. When it comes to ground support vehicles, these are the biggest and baddest of the bunch. Only the full-time airfield employees are allowed to drive them – no seasonals or helpers from other departments. Not surprising when you consider they cost three quarters of a million dollars each!
Once the snow starts falling, keeping the airport open is a collaborative effort between Operations, Airfield Maintenance and ATC. One of these days I hope to score a ride along so I can get a first-hand look at the process. But for now I do what so many other avgeeks do – I bring up Flight Radar 24 and tune in to the tower on Live ATC. Listening in on winter operations at any airport can be fascinating. However, when it’s my airport it becomes quite personal. I know the people who are out there working, and when the weather conditions are bad I know what they are up against.
Our most recent big storm was quite a challenge. It started with temps well above freezing and torrential rain. These conditions can make it hard to pre-treat the runways to get ahead of the frozen participation to come. The temps fell through-out the day hovering at the freezing mark for a few hours and coating everything in ice. As the temps continued to plummet the ice turned to snow and the winds began to pick up.
I was surprised at first to hear the deice pad frequency up and running so late at night. Under normal winter conditions – a frosty day or light snow – Ops will run the deice pad only during busy departure times. Otherwise the ramp remains uncontrolled and pilots work directly with the ground crews to get positioned for deicing. However, I found out that any time the airport is in snow operations, the Ops Department will take charge of the deice pad. This way they can keep the parking lines clear of snow, improve traffic flow and minimize the risk of collisions. Plus it allows them to relieve some of the burden on ATC since Ops will take over issuing some of the taxi instructions.
As those of you who have been regular readers know, this past winter I was given the opportunity to train with the Operations Department to learn how to manage the deice pad. To recap, deice pad management involves being on the deice pad in an operations vehicle and providing taxi instructions over the radio to position planes in the pad. We sometimes also act as a follow-me vehicle and lead planes into the pad. Once in position, the planes are handed off to their deice teams for the actual deicing.
The lesson began casually enough when my trainer asked, “Do you want to drive?” My out-loud response was a calm, casual, “Sure.” However, as I took the keys to the SUV my internal response was, “OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO ACTUALLY DRIVE AROUND ON THE AIRFIELD WHICH IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS AND TOTALLY AWESOME AND IT IS TAKING EVERY OUNCE OF WILLPOWER NOT TO FREAK OUT!”
He then went over some of the many markings on the ramp and what they mean. The yellow lines bordered in black are the aircraft taxi lines. He told me not to follow them because they would lead me to places I shouldn’t be. Like active runways. Yikes! He had me drive straight out towards one of the taxiways which, I must admit, was a little disconcerting. Hello – aren’t we supposed to be avoiding airplanes? However, before we actually got to the taxiway he had me stop and he pointed out markers on the pavement. He explained that this is as far as we are allowed to go. We cannot cross that line without clearance from ATC. OK – good to know!
I then spent time getting familiar with the drive lanes and where the deice lines are, as well as the best places to sit with good line-of-sight for monitoring activity on the pad. And did I mention we were directing planes this whole time? Well actually, my trainer was. I figured since it was my first time behind the wheel, I should focus on driving. Once the basic instruction was completed I was on my own to decide where to go and when. Sometimes I parked along the back of the pad. Sometimes I sat on a line just in front of the t-stops to be a visual reference for pilots so they could see where to position. An added benefit of this is it gives you some really awesome photo opportunities. Which my trainer got to enjoy because I was driving. Doh! At one point we paused to take a pic of a Southwest plane, only to realize that someone on the plane was taking pictures of us!
As you may recall, I have been training to help the Ops Department manage the deice pad on frosty mornings. This process involves driving around in an ops vehicle, giving taxi instructions on the radio, keeping a log of all the traffic through the deice pad and acting as a follow-me when needed. If that sounds like a lot to learn, it is! At this point I’ve gotten pretty good at telling the different RJs apart, I’ve memorized the call signs and ICAO codes for each airline and I can successfully manage the log. I’ve ridden along and watched the deice pad management process enough times now that I have a decent understanding of how it works. So what’s the next step? Talking on the radio.
Say What???
It’s not exactly a secret that I love airplanes and I’m fascinated with airport operations, so when I was offered the chance to help out with deicing this winter you can probably imagine my reaction. “Wait… I get to be on the airfield, in a Follow Me truck, surrounded by airplanes and deicing equipment? Oh. Heck. YES!”
For the record, riding in a Follow Me truck is every bit as cool as I thought it would be. There’s nothing quite like looking out the back window and seeing the nose of a 737 RIGHT THERE. And in case you are wondering, deice trucks are just as fun to watch up close as they are from a distance. The airfield is especially lovely in the early morning. I never get tired of seeing airplanes silhouetted by the rising sun.
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while might be a bit concerned about my ability to concentrate in the face of so much avgeek awesomeness. Fear not! I’m honored to have been given this opportunity and I’m going to try to learn as much as I can so I’m able to help out as much as possible. Besides, even though it can be very busy, there are also quiet moments where I’m free to geek out over all the cool stuff going on around me.
Tales from the Terminal 