Many of you may have plane spotted a large, low-flying aircraft in the airspace around MDT earlier this week. If you're not following the airport's Facebook fan page or Twitter feed, you may not realize that aircraft was the modified 747 used as 'Air Force One.' No, the President wasn't landing at Harrisburg, nor was he just flying around on the plane. The reason the 747 is an oft visitor to MDT is because of the flight crew's responsibility to practice flying the aircraft and its landing/departure maneuvers on a regular basis. It's not uncommon to see the modified 747, 757, 737 and other aircraft in the governmental fleet practicing maneuvers on our runway. Do we get fore notice that they'll be here? Not usually, we often know they're here when they're spotted by airport staff. The various planes in the governmental fleet practice at MDT due to the abundant length and width of our runway (we can accommodate any type of aircraft flying in the world) and due to our proximity (via air) to Andrews Air Force Base (AFB), wherein many of the fleet are stored. We're an approximately 20-minute flight from the AFB. So, you're now curious to learn more about the various aircraft that practice maneuvers at your hometown airport, aren't you? We've found a few resources that detail the various aircraft:
Boeing C-40 Clipper (modified 737), also occasionally fulfils the role of "AF-2"
Next time you see this aircraft or similar at MDT in your neck of the airspace, tweet us a photo using the hashtag, #MDTPlaneSpot or post a photo to our fan page wall. We love to see the various aircraft from your perspective, too!
'Tis the season of gift giving as Christmas is just around the corner! With gift giving comes an increase in packages being shipped to and fro across the country via train, truck and of course, aircraft. Many of you may be aware that UPS, FedEx and DHL conduct air cargo operations at your hometown airport, Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), on a daily basis.
UPS-contracted 747 at MDT
But, did you know that at this time of year, due to the increase volume of package shipment from online holiday shoppers, UPS contracts a 747 for their fleet at MDT to help offset the increased flights needed? That's right, plane spotters! There's a 747 based at MDT for the next week and its departing daily around mid-morning flying the country delivering your gifts where they need to go. Today's flight departed around 9 am EST and was bound for Denver, Colorado. If you 'plane spot' the 747, be sure to tweet us about it with the hashtag '#MDTplanespot' or post the photo to our fan page!
For those of you traveling to visit family between now and the end year, we have a few helpful travel tips to fly your way!
The key for a successful and less stressful trip is to be prepared. By following these simple suggestions, traveling to/from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), or any airport for that matter, will a bit easier and more convenient:
3) Arrive at a MDT parking lot about 90-minutes before your scheduled departure.
4) Follow the signs and park in the Long Term/Economy lot. Shuttle buses run (24 hours a day) every 8-10 minutes from the numbered shelters in the lot and brings you curbside at the terminal building.
5) When picking up a passenger arriving at MDT, please use our free cell phone lot until your passenger arrives. Federal security mandates prohibit parking along the terminal curbside. Only the active loading and unloading of a vehicle is permitted in front of the terminal building.
6) Regarding the holiday gifts and food you want to travel with: gifts packed in your carry-on and checked luggage should be unwrapped. Don't pack snow globes in your carry-on luggage, please pack them in your checked luggage. Please be sure to review the TSA's policies for how to travel with holiday foods.
Finally, we ask that you remember to bring a smile and be patient. Generally the weather looks good nationwide for the upcoming holiday travel week, however delays can happen at any time. The airlines want to get you to your destination safely and on time, while the TSA has a responsibility to make sure that everyone getting on an aircraft is doing so without any prohibited items.
What do you still have questions about that we've not covered? We hope our tips contribute to making your trip to Tulsa to visit Aunt Beatrice and her world famous fruitcake as stress-free as possible! Although, you'll have to buy your own roll of Tums to help digest that fruitcake!
With winter just around the corner and snow in this week's forecast, Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) employees are prepared to work hard to keep the airfield clear for aircraft take-offs and landings, the roadways clear for drivers and the walkways clear for visitors.
While most of us are thinking about swimming pools and jet-setting away from the region in the warm summer months, for the maintenance and operations crews at MDT it is strictly Christmas in July. This is when intensive planning stages begin for the coordination of plowing routes on the airfield and terminal roads, getting the essential winter vehicles prepped, and training drills take place.
Crews battle the snow and ice
And when the colder months and precipitation come, crews are ready to take on Jack Frost. To stay on top of the forecast, airport maintenance subscribes to Accuweather as well as checks with other weather sources to determine the incoming storm. Unlike highway road crews, MDT’s crews are called in before the snow hits, which means no build up on the runways or the public access ways.
Assistant Supervisor of Maintenance Mark Hake takes pride in his dedicated group of employees who maintain the terminal road ways and parking garages. Even when the team is not on airport grounds, they are always a call away. In the event of a storm, the crews begin the continuous process of plowing, brooming, and de-icing the grounds to ensure passengers can make their flights.
On the other side of the terminal, Airfield Maintenance Supervisor Shawn Rupert and his men work hard to make sure airplanes continue to travel to and from the airport. In his experience with the airport, MDT closed because of weather only one time. A direct reflection of the dedication his team of 16 workers possesses, which lets the airport continue to operate in hazardous conditions. It is not uncommon for both Rupert and Hake’s teams to sacrifice time with their families or even holidays to shack up in the bunk room at the airport for a 24-hour storm.
Plowing the runway one full length and one full width is the equivalent of plowing 31.5 miles of a single lane road. Using a variety of different sized plows and trucks with brooms, totaling at 20 different vehicles, and burning through an average of $190,000 of airport-safe chemicals and sand to help manage the snow, treating the airport passageways becomes possible. Also unlike regular highway crews, the airport does not use rock salt because it is too damaging to the airplanes.
The Operations Department works in conjunction with Airfield Maintenance to test the conditions of the ground. Using a machine called a Bomonk AFM, they are able to test the friction of the surface of the pavement to make sure each airline’s requirements for landing are met.
While conditions in the winter months at MDT can be cold and blustery, it is evident that there is a warm camaraderie and a high level of dedication burning inside each of these employees. At the end of the storm, when crews are finally able to rest, they are left with a keen sense of pride and a job well done.
The Embraer 195 regional jet provides the
highest passenger capacity of the Embraer 170/190 family of aircraft. The
aircraft has a range of 1,800 miles. It has
a wide aisle, large seats and a passenger capacity of 108 to 118 depending on
the cabin layout providing a high degree of comfort. In addition, the aircraft
offers low operating costs and operational flexibility.
Since the 190/195 models are
of mainline aircraft size, many airlines will operate them this way fitting
them with a business class section and operating the aircraft themselves,
instead of having them flown by a regional airline partner.
The first flight of the E-195 was on December 7, 2004.
The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
is winding down to the final weeks at the Mount Hope Estate & Winery.
Upon your entry to the shire of
Mount Hope, you are magically transformed into the year of 1590. Queen
Elizabeth Regina Gloriana, Ruler of England, welcomes you with fanfare and
cannon fire as the gates are opened to the celebration of theater, art, music
and dance.
Situated on 35 glorious acres of
land, the Faire offers a wide array of shows and performances. Watch glassblowing and archery demonstrations;
stop by the military encampment; listen to bagpipes and other musicians; see
some of the many comedy acts or maybe take a ride on Wrinkles the elephant!
To follow the storyline, don’t miss
the Magical Merriment Parade as the Queen proceeds to the Human Chess
Match. Here you will see William
Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe vie for the Queen’s attention, which eventually
leads to the Ultimate Joust. The day
ends with the Finale, as you join the Queen and all the performers for a
celebration of your visit.
The Faire offers a wide variety of
unique food choices like smoked turkey legs, Scotch eggs, tiger pies, and even
deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. To quench your thirst, free wine
tastings are available and is sold by the glass. Beer is also offered by the glass or you can
just grab a serve yourself Slush Puppie.
Artisans are on hand for purchasing
clothing, accessories, swords, and numerous other crafts.
The Faire is located on Route 72
just north of Manheim, easily accessible from the PA Turnpike, and is open
every weekend from 11:00 – 8:00 until October 28.
For more information on The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire or the Mount
Hope Estate & Winery, visit www.parenfaire.com.
Cessna Citation Longitude - photo courtesy of AINOnline.com
Cessna’s
newest, biggest jet is the Citation Longitude. The swept-wing Longitude has the roomiest cabin and the longest
range of any Citation jet. Longitude will have a range of 4,000 miles.
The
cabin will have a flat floor and six feet of headroom, and will seat eight in
double club seating. The cabin also features a galley, a spacious lavatory and
a large baggage area. The
Longitude is manufactured in Wichita, Kansas. The engines on this aircraft are said to be industry leaders in fuel-efficiency, weight and manageability.
At 86-feet wide and 87-feet long, the Longitude is expected to be in service by 2017.
Have you flown on one of the other 9 members of the Citation family of aircraft? Which ones and what features of these Cessnas did you enjoy?
The
Airbus A380 has been winning over business
and leisure passengers since its introduction in 2007 with travelers
specifically requesting flights around the globe.
Photo credit: Airbus.com
The double-decker A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft flying today,
with capacity to carry 525 passengers in a three-class configuration and up
to 853 in a single-class configuration that provides wider seats than its
competitors. The A380’s two decks offer 50 percent more floor surface than any
other high-capacity aircraft.
It has a main deck and an upper deck, which are conveniently linked by fixed
stairs forward and aft. The aircraft is actively being purchased by airlines for commercial flights worldwide, with 80 being in current operations.
Have you flown on an A380? Have you plane spotted one and photographed it? We'd love to see your photos!
Looking for an interesting summer vacation destination? We encourage you to visit Colorado Springs,
Colorado. There are several attractions
for all ages located in Colorado Springs, not to mention the breathtaking
scenery around every turn.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in the area, you
cannot go wrong staying at The Broadmoor
Resort. The Broadmoor has three
18-hole golf courses with some of the most impressive views of the Rockie
Mountains. Along with the golf courses,
there are several other activities for families such as horseback riding,
swimming, paddle boats and much more.
After a long day of golf and hiking, The Broadmoor also has a spa to
help you relax.
We also encourage you to visit the Garden of the Gods Park,
which is a National Natural Landmark.
Here you can take a guided tour, hike or bike ride through some of the
best views of Pikes Peak and tall sandstone rock formations. A tour will teach you about the cultural
history and geology of the Colorado Springs area.
Garden of the Gods
After viewing Pikes Peak from the Garden of Gods Park, take
a short trip over to get an up close view of the peak 14,115 feet above sea
level. In order to reach the summit you
can hike, drive or even catch a ride on the Pikes
Peak Cog Railway. If you are an
adventurous person consider riding a bike 20 miles down the Pikes Peak Highway
with the Challenge Unlimited Tour.
Need even more of an adrenaline rush? Located a quick hour away from Colorado
Springs is the Echo Canyon River Expeditions
where there are several different white water rafting options. They have choices from a family rafting trip
to the high adventurous class V rapids trip.
Olympic Training Center
So you need a break from all of the high adventure? Take a tour of the United States Air Force
Academy with several aircraft exhibits.
Next on the tour list is the U.S. Olympic Training Center where athletes
train for the Olympic Games. A third
great attraction to visit is the Colorado
Springs Pioneers Museum located downtown, with several exhibits to learn
about the local history.
There is much more than that to see and do in Colorado
Springs so feel free to ask us. You can
also find more info by visiting www.visitcos.com/.
Wanna visit Colorado Springs? You can reach this lovely city with one connection from MDT. Frontier Airlines has recently announced nonstop flights between Denver and Colorado Springs - so by booking your flight from MDT to DEN, you can then connect to Colorado Springs on the same airline!
Are you an aviation geek ("avgeek")? If you are then there's a good chance you're already up-to-speed on the latest and greatest in aircraft innovations with the main airliner manufacturers. Today we begin a new series which will profile and feature some of the latest and greatest airplanes!
We're getting started with a look at the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
787 Dreamliner - Photo from FlightAware
Responding to overwhelming preferences of
airlines around the world, an international team of top aerospace companies led
by Boeing at its Everett, Washington facility near Seattle, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes' launched a super-efficient airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft was originally slated as the 7E7 when its earliest design stages. The first delivery of the completed 787 to ANA took place on
Sept. 25, 2011.
In
addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 provides
airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental
performance. The airplane uses 20 percent less fuel than today's similarly
sized airplanes. It will also travel at a similar speed as today's fastest wide
bodies.
The
787-8 Dreamliner can carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200
miles, while the 787-9 Dreamliner can carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of
8,000 to 8,500 miles. With this new model of aircraft airlines are anticipated receive more cargo revenue capacity.
Have you plane spotted a 787 yet? Better yet, have you flown on one?
