SAMA Trip 2002:  Dallas, Texas

Introduction:

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 7^th though 11^th, 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.

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The Fun continues....

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.

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Special thanks to Daniel Turner and Cameron Korrect

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