30.3.11

How MDT Brings People Together - #MDT324

Over the past few months, those of you following the MDT's Twitter stream may have seen the hashtag #MDT324 in use.  What appears to be a nonsensical collection of letters and numbers actually represented an event planned to bring several of our more active twitter followers to MDT for an opportunity to meet one another in person.  In total 5 "tweeps" flew or drove in from across the country for an evening "tweetup" with the airport tweeter.  Each tweep has graciously agreed to share their experience in a wrap up blog series. 

Mike Morgan is our first wrap up post today. Enjoy and maybe we'll see you at #MDT324 2012!

When you travel to an airport, you don't think, "Yes, I'll be back here next year, at this exact time." But if you were one of the lucky few who attended #MDT324 at Harrisburg International Airport, that was your thought.

On March 24th, 2011, Myself, @heyhusband (my wife Laura), @juliewillfly, @chris_stoltz, and @travlinsalesgal (Amanda) were hosted by Stephanie Gehman, Marketing Manager at Harrisburg International Airport, and her husband, Hans, for an evening of airports, airplanes, good food, and great friends.

We journeyed from all across the country. Laura and I traveled from Oklahoma City. Julie rode the Greyhound bus from Sacramento. Chris flew from Fort Lauderdale, and Amanda flew in from Omaha. We all had one thing in common, we love travel. We met at the airport at 5 o'clock to begin our exciting evening.

Checking out the baggage system.
Stephanie took us on a tour of the airport. It started with a look at the baggage system. Having seen the system before, it was neat to watch others see it for the first time. If you haven't read my review of MDT (view it at http://bit.ly/HIAReview), you may not know about the baggage system. The system was designed to take a lot of hand work out of baggage handling. As a bag travels down conveyors, it is scanned and shipped to the correct airline. It's an amazing system, and was the first of its kind. You'll now find these systems in airports all around the world.

@JulieWillFly on the MDT ramp
After that Stephanie guided us to ramp where we got to watch a few arrivals and departures. It was a unique experience for many. Amanda and Julie were both very excited to just be wondering around on the ramp. I realize that for some people, like my wife, being on the ramp is boring, but for true #avgeeks, the ramp is a place of magic. I mean, where else can you just walk right up to a 747? Please note that there were no 747's on the ramp at MDT, but any ramp is still magical.

To finish up, Stephanie showed us the terminal, and then it was off to eat!
The magic of any tweetup really happens when everyone is sitting around a dinner table. Our conversation started with banter about which airline was best, or why Boeing really is better than Airbus (please note, this is the author's opinion, not MDT's). But it didn't take long before we all began to chat about our histories, and our lives. We found that we have a lot more in common that just being #avgeek's. This is the kind of connection that can't be found on Twitter or Facebook. This is real life.

As the evening ended, we parted ways. Julie headed on to the Sun-N-Fun fly-in. Laura and I headed to Erie. Amanda went to visit a friend. Chris went stayed in Harrisburg to spend some time with his family. And Stephanie and Hans headed home.

Look a plane!
 The relationships I had online became real. And it's only because Harrisburg International Airport could bring us together. I want to thank Stephanie and the entire airport for allowing us to come visit. And I want you all to know that Julie, Chris, Amanda, Stephanie, and Hans are amazing people to know. And, of course, a special thanks to my wife for joining us. She is a special person for putting up with my love for airplanes.

We hope to have #MDT324 become a yearly event, and I want to invite you to join us next year! This is a great opportunity to meet people from around the country who love the aviation industry as much as you!

25.3.11

Fish and Crabs and Shrimp; oh my!

Get hooked!  No, no, we're not talking about the sea shore!  But, we are delighted to announce that Phillips Seafood will be the latest in the restaurant mix available at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT).  In the next few days, the current Varsity Grill be permanently shutting its doors and re-opening as Phillips in mid-April, 2011.  Ticketed passengers arriving at or departing from MDT will be able to access the new restaurant beyond the security checkpoint.

So, still stuck on the fish, crabs and shrimp?  Check out the Phillips Seafood menu for the full array of delectable options to choose!


What will you be dining on during your first trip to the Midstate's newest Phillips?

18.3.11

Airport Life: The Customer Information Team

This post is a continuation of Harrisburg International Airport's mini-series in blogging: Airport Life. This series explores the airport community from business and leisure travelers to airport staff.

Carol Watkins,  Susquehanna Club attendant

“I enjoy helping people,” she said with a smile.

Carol Watkins, attendant at the Harrisburg International Airport’s Susquehanna Club, wants to be the guiding hand that aids you in the airport experience. With a pay-it-forward attitude, Carol filled the shoes of an HIA passenger not too long ago.

 On a trip with her husband through the airport, Carol stopped at the information desk to get some advice about her flight. As they left, her husband expressed that an airport customer service representative was exactly the type of job that would be perfect for her. As fate would have it, just a few weeks later Carol came across an advertisement for a position at the airport.


If you can’t find Carol at the information desk on the public side of the terminal, you’ll find her in her living room away from home: The Susquehanna Club, Harrisburg International Airports frequent flyer lounge. The club offers frequent travelers from all airlines a quiet place to work or relax before a flight. Acting as the gatekeeper to the club’s amenities, Carol ensures that club members are able to grab a complimentary beverage, use the free Wi-Fi, or even conduct a business meeting in the conference room.

 One of Carol’s favorite parts of her job is getting to know the frequent flyers that pass through the Susquehanna Club. And, with the intimate feel of the club, Carol is able to get to know a lot of the regulars before they jet off from MDT.


Above all, Carol enjoys the satisfaction she gets from being able to help others, because in the end it’s just what she loves to do.


Airport staff and airlines work hard to ensure customer satisfaction. As airport staff work to help the public, do you think the services provided at airports meets customer demands? If so what are some good examples you’ve found in your travels?

And if remembering the exact date of her first day isn’t a testament to her wealth of knowledge, Carol works hard to ensure that she can help you answer whatever question you may have as you travel through our hub.
Before becoming an on-staff airport guru, Carol brought smiles to a different industry: dentistry. For 20 years, she worked as a receptionist in a local dental office. Moving on to MDT, Carol’s first day with the airport was May 16, 2007.

10.3.11

Airport Life: Pilot Introduction

Harrisburg International Airport would like to introduce our next mini-series in blogging: Airport Life. This series will explore the airport community from business and leisure travelers to airport staff.


Tom Bouck, Airline Pilot
And with that, let us introduce to you retired Continental Airlines pilot and Vietnam veteran Tom Bouck. From a young age Tom knew he wanted to become a pilot. Watching airplanes fly in and out of Schenectady County Airport in upstate New York, with his grandfather, he dreamed of one day joining these aviators in the sky as he watched from the ground.


Fast-forwarding to his stint in the Marines, Tom trained as an air traffic controller. Guiding aircrafts in and out of Marine bases, he came one step closer to realizing his dreams.


After serving for our country, he studied to obtain his private and commercial pilots licenses in Arizona. But with a combination of a competitive job market and a decreased need for pilots in the 1970’s, Tom began working for the FAA as an air traffic controller.


However, in 1981 when the air traffic control strike hit airfields nationwide, Tom soon moved away from this position. With a large amount of flight hours under his belt already, Tom refocused and switched gears back to piloting and became a flight instructor.


He began his commercial piloting career with Fresno West Air in California and moved to Command Airways based out of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for two years. In January of 1988, Tom switched to Continental Airlines, one of Harrisburg International Airport’s airline partners, where he stayed until retirement.


Tom’s first assignment with Continental was in Denver, C.O. Shortly after, he taught flight instruction on an Airbus A300 out of Los Angeles for three years. Continental then based Tom out of Hawaii. From here he flew mainly through the South Pacific, where he was able to explore such places as Australia, New Zealand, and Guam.


After two and a half years in Hawaii, Tom headed back to the mainland where he primarily flew out of Newark Airport in Newark, N.J. Some of his favorite European destinations include Madrid, Rome and Munich.


As Tom hit the age for retirement, he made his last trip as a pilot for Continental, which he chose to fly from Newark to Las Vegas, N.V. This flight was extremely special for many reasons. Tom’s wife Nanette rode proudly onboard the jet, which was only the second time she flew with Tom. When was the first you might be thinking? The two met when Tom piloted a sight-seeing tour from Pheonix, A.Z. to the Grand Canon of which Nanette was on board.


Tom’s father was also onboard the plane. The last flight signified new life for Tom and his wife, as they had recently purchased a house in Las Vegas where they currently live in the lap of retirement. Loved ones from around the country met Tom and Nanette at their new home that day to celebrate his accomplishments.


Flying has always conjured a sense of freedom for Tom. Enjoying many aspects of the job from the challenges he faced in the skies, and strategic decision making and safety planning, to being able to pilot his own journey across the globe, aviation allowed him to fulfill a life long passion.


While Tom’s period as a pilot came to an end in 2005, just five years later Continental Airlines announced a new era in business operations. Merging with United Airlines to form United Continental Holdings, Inc., these two airlines will now, together operate approximately 5,800 flights a day in 371 airports including Harrisburg International Airport.

In keeping with our Airport Life series, how do you think this will affect the future of commercial aviation namely the employees and passengers they currently serve?