In addition to understanding the
aviation industry in the classroom, correlating this understanding with
hands on experience provides an excellent foundation for tomorrow’s
leaders in aviation.Annually the members
of SAMA travel to a major aviation
city to achieve that valuable experience in our dynamic industry.Joe Viscuso, SAMA
’s Travel Director, brought SAMA and
guests from the
Wilderness Pilot’s Association to Dallas, TX from November 7th
though 11th, 2002.
On Thursday night our trip
originated outside Odegard Hall where four UND passenger vans stood
ready to depart to Minneapolis, MN.Once
our bags and ourselves were loaded, we departed to catch our 6:19 AM flight to the Dallas/Fort Worth
Airport (DFW).As the vans traveled
through the night and our flight carried us to our destination we did
what we could to rest up for our first day in Dallas.
A visit to the Lone Star State
and the Home of Southwest and American Airlines...
First on our list was
a stop at the Dallas/Fort Worth Air Traffic Control facility
located at the center of the airport.Our
tour began with an interesting presentation from the ATC staff which
included arrival and departure procedures and airport statistics.Witnessing the scope of the ATC operation at Dallas was truly amazing.Controllers shared with us the challenges of
changing the active runways due to a wind shift and how traffic flow is
managed for smooth arrival periods. ATC works closely with airlines
operating out of DFW to prevent the rush hour arrivals and departures
that often occur at hub airports.With its
facilities and central location in the continental US, DFW is also an
ideal location for long distance business meetings. Following the
presentation we were treated to a tour of approach control and the
central tower.
A brief elevator ride and a few
sets of stairs brought us to the top of the center tower providing a
spectacular view of the airfield.One of
three towers on the airfield, the central tower is used for training
and serves as a backup facility for the two active towers.Dallas Approach gave a demonstration in the approach
control radar training lab where approach controllers shared their
personal experiences and their knowledge of controlling the busy
terminal area.
After stopping for lunch we took
the show to
Dallas Love Field to visit the Southwest Airlines corporate headquarters.From maintenance to training, the friendly
Southwest staff led us on a tour of the entire facility.Members of SAMA and WPA
witnessed the powerful corporate culture of Southwest Airlines first
hand.Members of the hiring staff as well
as Southwest pilots also shared excellent information on flying with
the airline.In addition to meeting the
basic job requirements, Southwest emphasizes the importance of working
as a family to achieve organizational goals.Our
tour of the Southwest Airlines facility concluded with a “deck party”
with the Southwest staff overlooking Love Field.In
addition to the great view of arriving and departing aircraft
SAMA and WPA members had another opportunity to meet
and speak with members of the Southwest team.Our
Friday ended with checking in to our hotel and some free time to
ourselves to relax, have fun and grab some dinner.
Saturday
morning’s tour of Dallas/Fort Worth brought us inside the operations of
the only airport in the world with 7 runways, 3 control towers, and the ability to land 4 aircraft
simultaneously.Jim Kelly, the Terminal
Coordinator at DFW took us on a spectacular drive around the busy
airport.SAMA and WPA got an up-close view of
aircraft on the FedEx,
UPS, and American ramps as well
as a tour of the general aviation building located to the south of the
terminals.Our tour provided excellent
photo and video opportunities that are hard to come by.Aircraft landing, departing, or taxiing by were captured
by the army of cameras we had brought along.It
always seems that pilots can’t ever get enough of airplanes.Our tour covered not only the outside
operations of the airport but also brought us within one of the
terminal buildings.We visited with
terminal managers and toured the international gates of DFW.Jim Kelly’s tour shared with us the many
challenges in operating a large scale airport which handles diverse air
traffic and passengers.
We
ended our Saturday afternoon and evening with exploring the city of Dallas.Our charter bus made several runs to and from
downtown Dallas
allowing us to see the many sights of Dallas and enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants in
the area.For some this was the first time
seeing the city and its famous attractions such as the Kenedy Memorial.This was a great opportunity to experience
some of the Texas
culture and have a good time with friends on the trip.
On
Sunday Joe brought us to the American Airlines Systems Operations and
the CR Smith
Museum located near DFW.Mike Jansen, a
SAMA officer, introduced us to his father who brought
us inside American’s facilities.A trip to
a conference room overlooking the American dispatch control gave an
understanding on the size and scope of American’s operations.As we looked across the large room filled with
numerous computers and working dispatchers, American dispatch
procedures and capabilities were shared with the group.After seeing American’s dispatch control room, we ventured
to the CR Smith Museum located adjacent to American’s operations
building.
The
CR Smith Museum presents the history of aviation, the airline industry,
and American Airlines in an entertaining and interactive format.The museum included a static DC-3 display,
early piston engines, jet engines, and activities to experience the
principles of flight.The museum gift shop was also popular with the group
as it had die cast models of nearly every aircraft for every airline in
the world.
From
the CR Smith Museum and American operations tour we visited a mall for
lunch and a chance for some shopping.The
three story mall included a large variety of shops as well as an indoor
ice rink located in a central atrium.Many
members of SAMA and WPA enjoyed
browsing the interesting products found at the Sharper Image store.The rest of Sunday was left to rest and
recreation back at the hotel.
Our last stop of
the trip was the American Airlines overhaul facility located at the Alliance Airport .On Monday morning, we
enjoyed an exciting tour of airframe and engine overhaul operations
located at the Alliance
facility.American showed us nearly all of the
procedures which take place at the facility from individual part
inspections to large scale installations.Members
of SAMA and WPA witnessed mechanics
pulling apart large 777 jet engines and examining the many components
of the wings, fuselage, and cockpits.From
the engines to the foam in the seats, the American overhaul center
seems to do it all.
From the
American overhaul center we loaded the bus and headed back to DFW.With classes awaiting us the next day, it was time
to catch our flight back to Minneapolis where our passenger vans stood waiting. The
SAMA trip of 2002
came to a close as we made our way back to Grand Forks arriving late Monday evening.
Building
on the education provided at UND Aerospace is a goal SAMA
strives to achieve each year. An excellent
contributor to that goal was the trip to Dallas where we experienced the aviation industry at work. Joe Viscuso’s tour of the Dallas/Forth Worth area
allowed us to witness the operations of two wonderful airlines, meet
with many industry professionals, learn more of our industry’s history
and at the same time see another part of our country. Witnessing the management, maintenance, training and
flight operations within the aviation industry, SAMA and
WPA members were able to catch a glimpse of the exciting and
challenging careers that await us all.
