MDTrip Report: Colorado at a Glance

If you follow Harrisburg International Airport on Twitter (@HIAairport) and were following the #MDT_DEN hashtag, you know that members of our team were recently in the Denver, Colorado region.  We traveled there for meeting with various travel professionals in the region and to gather info on what makes that region of the country so spectacular.  Over the next couple of weeks we would will share with you about the various cities in Colorado that we visited and the unique opportunities they afford travelers.  

Today, we'll share a quick glance at each of these towns and cities - short and sweet.


Denver is an exciting nexus of arts, culture, history, music, food and outdoor adventures for the entire family. 


Estes Park is home to the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park and the famed Stanley Hotel.  


Lyons is an adorable town nested in foot of a red rock cliff and is a bedroom community featuring its own unique charm. 


Boulder is noted as one of the "Foodiest" locations in the United States and is situated in the midst of the Rockies.


Golden is full of small town charm and home to the Coors Brewery, this adorable city is nicknamed, the "Two Hour Vacation" spot. 


Colorado Springs boasts a plethora of attractions for varied interests including the Broadmoor resort, Garden of the Gods, the Olympic Training Center and much more.


So, stay tuned as we blog about the highlights of our trip to the Rockies.  You're in for quite the adventure as you read along.  Getting the itch to 'Go West'?  We can't say we blame you!  You can fly nonstop from MDT to Denver on Frontier Airlines every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday through September 2, 2012.

Tweeting up with fellow #avgeeks - #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.


Amanda's post is the final of the wrap up series on #MDT324. Maybe we'll be seeing you at the 2012 event!

To be honest, before #MDT324, I thought Twitter was pretty stupid. I only started to tweet because my "cool travel friends" were doing it. I jokingly told Stephanie that MDT should host a behind-the-scenes-tour of the airport, and she tweeted back, asking if I would fly to MDT. I said "sure, why not,?" but I didn't expect it to actually happen!

Imagine my surprise when suddenly we had an event date. And then there was a list of people, like myself, who were going to fly across the country to see the inner-workings of an amazing airport? Suddenly Twitter wasn't so stupid, it was something that was connecting me to fellow aviation geeks!

I flew into the airport early to get a sense of the place. I checked myself into the airport-managed Susquehanna Club, which is a great place for frequent travelers such as myself to kick back and relax before a flight. I also grabbed some lunch at Subway. I was impressed with the dining choices at MDT, certainly a lot more than at my home airport of Omaha. Also, everyone at MDT was genuinely friendly. Flying as much as I do- you really notice when airport staff goes above and beyond. I'm happy to say everyone I met at MDT was friendly!

Finally, the moment arrived when the "tweeps" would actually "tweetup." I didn't really know what to expect, but, as soon as I met everyone, I knew we were kindred spirits. As we explored the airport together, seeing places that I have only dreamed of seeing in the past (hello, baggage handling system!), I suddenly realized that Twitter wasn't so dumb.

I want to thank Stephanie for the amazing and informational tour, and to my fellow "tweeps for life"- Chris, Laura, Mike, Julie and Hans. If nothing else, you guys will always be my twitter friends, right?..

My Trip to Harrisburg International Airport: #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.

Julie Vessigault's post is the fourth of the wrap up series on #MDT324.  Maybe we'll be seeing you at the 2012 event!

I live in Sacramento, California. Harrisburg International Airport's March 24th tweet-up was right on my way, on my upcoming trip to Lakeland, Florida- that is, timing-wise. I needed a good road trip. Greyhound dropped me off in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the morning. I simply walked down to the corner of Market Street where I caught city bus route #7 to the airport. In fifteen minutes, the driver dropped me off on the airport side of the street and pointed out a tunnel and stairway that led to the road to the airport. (While some city bus route 7s deliver you to the front door, some route 7s do not). The walk from the tunnel wasn't bad at all- about 15 minutes to the terminal door. (I was tugging a roll-aboard.)

As a pedestrian approaching the terminal a less standard way, I entered the closest doorway which put me in the baggage claim area. The cleanliness and design of the terminal impressed me, and the Welcome to Harrisburg International Airport sign greeted me as I continued toward my destination.

My destination was the Observation Area on the third floor, accessible to the public. I have to hand it to the folks at MDT, that was a great move for a modern airport terminal, and kudos to the architect who designed it so well. I enjoyed a close up view of airline operations, a C-130 and 727 performing touch 'n goes, and general aviation operations out of AvFlight with the Susquehanna River in the background...

...Which explains the "Old terminal", now vacated. As I walked the perimeter fence of the airport to check out the General Aviation FBO, Avflight, I passed the "Old Terminal". Its architecture caught my eye. From my point of view, it looked like it was designed to look like a ship on the shore of the Susquehanna River. A surreal feeling swept over me as I pondered the decades of memories and history associated with the building. I was grateful to see it. I offered a moment of silence as I imagined what its glory days may have been like.

I took a few minutes to compare the old on my right and the new on my left and felt a feeling of satisfaction that the splendor of the new building complimented and honored the legacy of the old.

With this new perspective in mind, I returned to the new terminal and proceeded to explore its first and second floors. As I walked into the Varsity Grill I instantly noted and seriously appreciated that I COULD SEE THROUGH WALLS!!! Not literally of course- where there would normally be a solid wall between the public area of the terminal and the gate area of the terminal, the whole wall was a window. Not only could I enjoy the view of the gate area, the wall between the gate area and the aircraft on the tarmac was also a window. I could see all the way to the runway! Stephanie Gehman later explained to me this was done to maximize the natural light.

Once all of the #MDT324 tweet-up participants arrived, and we received our special event T-shirts, Stephanie escorted us to the basement where we were introduced to the baggage handling system. It was fascinating to learn how this machine was able to sort through the baggage and convey it to the right waiting aircraft.

Stephanie then took us out the the aircraft ramp where we met with ramp workers and observed first hand airport operations on the ramp. We also were able to observe an incoming flight land on the runway.

Thanks to our hosts for their hospitality, the delicious dinner and pleasant company at Bricco in downtown Harrisburg.

I’m an HIA #Superfan for life! - #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.



Chris Stotz's post is the third of the wrap up series on #MDT324. Maybe we'll be seeing you at the 2012 event!

Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) is my hometown airport. I was born and raised in central Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State in 1998, and lived in Harrisburg until I moved to Fort Lauderdale in late 2002. I remember the original Harrisburg Airport, the newer terminal in the 1980s, and I’m thrilled with the new facility. Until I moved out of the area in 2002, I was flying in and out of HIA all the time. I think the progress of HIA over the years, and what it has become today, really reflects how special and unique central Pennsylvania is. I’m so proud of what HIA has become, and it was exciting to be a part of a special event showing off HIA known by Twitter followers as #MDT324.

#MDT324 was a gathering of HIA Twitter followers from all over the United States. Stephanie Gehman, Marketing Manager for HIA, has developed an impressive online presence for the airport on websites like Facebook and Twitter. She coordinated the event with the HIA fans, and provided a special “VIP” behind-the-scenes tour of the airport. For me, it was a very special event because this state-of-the-art airport, with bright and shiny concourses, busy gates, and great vendors like Starbucks and Subway, is the kind of airport I’ve always imagined for Harrisburg and the surrounding area. It’s nice when you can return to the place you grew up and lived as a younger adult and see things going well, especially in this current economic climate. It was a great feeling to see people from around the country be impressed with what I think is the perfect airport.

In the last few years I’ve been especially lucky to be able to enjoy direct, nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Harrisburg on AirTran Airways. This makes it very easy and affordable to fly home and visit family and friends, with a flight time of about two hours. Lucky for me, there are many options and carriers going in and out of HIA, so getting home to central Pennsylvania will never be difficult no matter where I am. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…there’s no place like home!

I really am proud to call HIA my hometown airport, and appreciate the opportunity to connect with HIA on Facebook and Twitter and make lasting friendships with other fans of what has become an airport that many cities would envy. Thank you to everyone involved with the #MDT324 event, and the friendly and hard working staff at HIA, especially Stephanie, for making this fly-in possible, and making HIA a pleasant and “hip” airport!

Confessions of an Outsider: #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.

Laura Morgan's post is the second of the wrap up series on #MDT324.  Maybe we'll be seeing you at the 2012 event!

By day I’m a copyeditor, living in the world of books. By night, well, if you know me on Twitter, you know I’m a wife (@heyhusband). And if you know my husband, @Mike_J_Morgan, you know he likes planes. A lot. As we drive down I-35, our conversation frequently comes to an abrupt Mike-just-saw-an-airplane stop. And then, quick! Opentheglovebox! He’s got to get out his ATC receiver to listen to the pilots of aforementioned celestial metal beast.


It’s obvious why Mike went to #MDT324, but why me? I can’t tell you the difference between a 737 and a 747, nor do I really care as long, as they get me where I’m going as quickly as possible. I guess I went to the Tweetup because I wanted to meet these other humans who have weird obsessions with aviation.

I could tell you about the airport, and I would have good things to say (it’s got a great atmosphere and awesome rocking chairs), but I’m no expert on the technical side. There was a runway, some gates, and a nifty massage nook. It was an airport; it was what I expected.

Sort of.

Harrisburg International has a pulse, a heart. As Stephanie, a vital member of a team that gives MDT this life, guided us through the bowels and out on to the extremities, we encountered other people who were excited about their work and were glad to see that we were touring their domain. We immediately could tell that everyone who works at MDT is dedicated because even the places the majority of patrons never see were immaculate.

And then there were the Tweeps. Those humans with weird obsessions. Those people with passion. My new friends who also happen to like airplanes and MDT. I still don’t understand why they like planes so much, but I know exactly why they like flying in and out of MDT. I also know they’re people just like me who are dedicated to planes and terminals in much the same way I’m dedicated to hardbacks and libraries. We had a wonderful evening getting to know one another, and I’m heartily looking forward to our next Tweetup.

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!

Emergency Exercise by the Numbers

The post event wrap-up of our full-scale emergency exercise, we're pleased to say, is a positive one! On Saturday evening, 9/18 at 8 pm we we conducted our exercise as required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The exercise was executed by 108 emergency personnel from the community, 75 volunteer victims, and 40 airport and airline personnel.

The 108 emergency personnel included fire, police and EMS from York, Dauphin and Lancaster counties. These personnel joined forces with airport fire and police personnel to rescue 75 volunteer victims, 13 adult dummies and 2 infant dummies in a simulated plane crash on the east end of MDT's runway. The victims and dummies were assigned varying degrees of injury and had to be treated accordingly by the first responders.

The participating fire, police and EMS included 33 apparatus from Lower Swatara Township, Middletown, High Spire, the PA 193rd Air National Guard, Londonderry, Steelton, Swatara Township, Hershey, Union Deposit, Bainbridge, Fairview Township, DESSP, Life Lion, Hershey, Northwest, Manheim Township, and Community Life team. Other participating agencies were Emergency Health Service Foundation, American Red Cross, Dauphin County coroner, Dauphin County Communications and the PA 193rd Air National Guard Airfield Management Security Forces.

As you can see a LOT of time, effort and personnel went into exercise. In a matter of 90 minutes these combined community efforts provided scene safety, assessment, victim treatment, transport, fire fighting, and many other activities in an effort to build team skills in the event that an actual emergency incident would take place on the airport campus. These concerted efforts made this exercise a success!

MDT would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of the participating agencies, personnel and volunteers that helped make this exercise happen. We would also like to thank you, the community for staying up-to-date on the exercise as well!

You can read through our archive of live tweets during the exercise and also view photos of the exercise.

An Intro to HIA's Full-Scale, Emergency Excercise

This evening (9/18/2010) beginning at 8 pm, Harrisburg International Airport, along with local emergency responders, will be conducting an FAA required full-scale, emergency exercise. We expect that the exercise, held on the airport campus, to be wrapped up by 12 midnight. Local residents, guests and passengers at HIA will see lights and hear sirens during this time, as HIA and airline employees, along with the local responders simulate and respond to a staged emergency aircraft incident. Anyone seeing or hearing any part of the exercise should not be alarmed, this is ONLY an exercise!

Emergency Exercise FAQ

So what's the point of an airport conducting an emergency exercise?

The goal of the exercise is to enable airport and community fire, security, medical,and other resources to join in an effective, coordinated response to airport emergencies.

How often do you have to hold an emergency exercise?

The FAA requires the exercises to be conducted every 3 years.

What do you do at the emergency exercise?

In the months prior to the emergency exercise taking place a oversight team at the airport decides what type of emergency incident will be simulated/practiced at the exercise. The type of emergency being practiced is then planned for, and then simulated on the day of the exercise. Types of incidents that are practiced varies from year to year and from airport to airport.

Who participates in the emergency exercise?

Fire, police, dispatch, EMT, paramedic, airport personnel, airline personnel participate in the exercise, along with a number of their friends/family as volunteers.

What do the friends/family volunteers do at the exercise?

These volunteers will pretend to be "victims" of the type of emergency incident being practiced at the exercise. They are often dressed with make-up and paint called "moulage" to simulate different types of injuries that may/might be received in a real event.

How do you determine if the participating parties have learned what they are supposed to?

At the close of the exercise, the parties involved meet for a debriefing meeting wherein a group of people that had been selected to observe the exercise share their observations. All aspects of the exercise are discussed and performance rated. The goal of the exercise debriefing is to make sure all parties involved know what went well and what aspects needed improvement.

What other questions do you have? Post them as a comment and we'll be happy to answer them! The FAA provides a full airport exercise guide, feel free to take a look.

We will be covering the exercise with live social media coverage as it unfolds, so stayed tuned to Facebook and Twitter for live updates!

And tomorrow we will publish a post-exercise wrap up blog post!

High-flying tweets!

That's right your regional airport is on Twitter, and we're tweeting away! @HIAairport will provide updates on weather, conditions, delays, and just "plane" fun conversations!

We would love to hear what's going on with you when you fly, so be sure to tweet your #MDT experiences and we'll make note of them. If you tweet @HIAairport with a couple days notice of a departure from HIA, you'll get a fun surprise from us!

So, if you're on Twitter and want a mutual follow, let us know. Leave a comment with your @account name or send us a reply on Twitter. Happy tweeting, tweeps!