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!

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?

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.

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?

The Cost of Snow Removal at Harrisburg International Airport

This cold and icy winter has been hard on all of us. With six major storms hitting the Central Pennsylvania region within the last month and a half, Harrisburg International Airport employees work hard to keep the ground clear for take off and landing.

 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, HIA’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 take care of 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 Losing and his men work hard to make sure airplanes continue to travel to and from the airport. In his experience with the airport, HIA 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 Losing 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 HIA are 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.

Guest Blog: 7 tips for making healthier food choices when you travel

Today guest blogger Barbara Searles, CMT, NCTMB, HHC, AADP, a Holistic Health Coach and Nationally Certified Massage Therapist shares healthy eating tips for road warriors! Her practice, Bodyworks Integrative Health, LLC is just outside Lancaster, PA.  Find her on Facebook or Twitter too!

She enjoys travel by car and by air, and spends about three weeks out of every year on some kind of trip. Her most adventurous travel so far involved serving as team massage therapist for a 4-person team competing in the ultra-distance, cross-country bicycling adventure called Race Across America.

Lots of us use routine and discipline as key elements in our effort to stay healthy. But when we start a trip, all of our usual routines can go out the window. Discipline is easy when you have control of your environment, but travel generally puts us out of control and into unknown territory.
What can you do to stay as healthy as possible given these factors? Here are seven simple tips to incorporate into your trips:

1.     Try not to use the trip as one giant “treat meal.”
I remember when a weekend trip was my opportunity to “cheat” for 2-3 days. I also remember when it was easy to recover from that trip … it’s not so easy now.  There’s a lot to be said for keeping a degree of discipline while you travel. How much discipline is up to you, but it can make you feel more “at home” in unfamiliar places.

2.     In airports, find a quiet(er) place to eat.
Make the experience as much like a regular meal as airports are so full of busyness and constant noise and movement. Eating in this type of environment can often make us eat extremely quickly, which results in overeating or digestive issues. Since neither of those things are comfortable during a trip, try to find a quiet (or at least quieter) spot for your meal. Get your food to go, and walk all the way to the end of the concourse. You’ll get some space plus a few extra steps of exercise. Find the least busy restaurant (which sometimes is the one with healthier choices!) and eat there. Sit at a table as far away from the edge of foot traffic as possible. Remember to breathe and to chew your food.

3.     Make water your main beverage for air/car/train travel.
Plain bottled water has so many benefits for our bodies. No calories, no sodium and just pure hydration. It supports healthy digestion and fills us up so we snack less. Stick to water during your travel days instead of soda, alcohol or juice.

4.     Look for fruit & vegetables
A lot of fast food stops are offering fruits and vegetables as a part of their menu selection. Pick up a banana or an apple in the airport terminal to replace the snacks on the plane. Or choose a salad with limited cheese, fried toppings, and dressing – focus on the vegetables in the salad instead.

5.     Think about and plan ahead for the entire day’s meals.
Whether you’re traveling or have reached your destination, make your meal and snack choices mindfully. If breakfast is the only meal where you’ll be able to choose the source, then choose the healthier options for breakfast. If every meal choice is up to you, then enjoy some new and healthy options in your travel location. (see tip number 6)

6.     Use available online and smart phone apps to get review & suggestions that lead you to healthier choices.
When I was a kid, we always took a guidebook from AAA on our vacations. We used the book to find things to do, but also restaurant choices. It’s pretty wonderful when you imagine how far we’ve come from that static information! There are so many fantastic resources to find healthy quality food choices on the road. In airports, I like GateGuru. In a new city, I use Yelp almost exclusively when choosing restaurants. The reviews from real people are an incredibly helpful resource.

7.     Pack one small bar of decadent delicious dark chocolate and use it as you sweet treats – for the entire trip!
For me, sweets are the ongoing temptation. Now before I travel, I pack a bar of fantastic dark chocolate in my bag. After choosing to skip all the overly indulgent sweets during the day, I will often treat myself to just one square of that dark chocolate at the end of the day. I find it helps me when I aim for “healthier” instead of “perfect” while traveling.

Do you practice good eating while traveling?  What lengths do you go to, to make sure your diet is consistent when you're on the road, in the air, or on the rails?

Spring into Fundraising!

Daffodil Days is coming to MDT! With the spring months approaching and warmer weather finally making its way to Harrisburg, the airport will be participating in The American Cancer Society Daffodil Days program. The official first flower of season, the ACS sells daffodils to give hope to people fighting cancer. This annual event is your chance to spring into action and raise awareness and funds.

Liv N. Hope

Check out the list of products for purchase through HIA:


Bunches, $10
The original, a bunch of daffodils


Potted Mini Daffodils, $12
This is a mini potted daffodil plant with 3-4 bulbs inside a 4 inch foil wrapped pot.

Vase & a Bunch, $15
This is a blue etched vase that comes with a bunch of daffodils.

Liv N. Hope, $25
Liv N. Hope is a 10 inch Boyds bear; along with the bear you will receive a bunch of daffodils

Gift of Hope, $25
Gift of Hope is an amazing donation. This allows you to purchase a bunch of daffodils, which will be anonymously delivered to cancer patients in hospitals, treatment centers, and other facilities in the community.


Project Care, $25
Project Care is a donation for a child. This will give a special Boyds bear to a child in a local oncology units, also delivered anonymously.



To order one or more of these items please place an order with Heather Blake, Human Resources and Finance Administrator, by emailing HBlake@SARAA.org by February 25, 2011.

Bunches of daffodils and donation cards for a Wall of Hope will be sold on the second floor of the terminal Thursday, March 17, and Friday, March 18.


The money raised through Daffodil Days will make a difference in many people’s lives. Your support allows the American Cancer Society to save lives, continue research, and fight back against cancer.

HIA Discovers Local Students' "Dream Destinations"

When Milton Hershey, the man known worldwide as the creator of the Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, passed away; he did something very sweet. Founded in 1909, Hershey and his wife Catherine began the Milton Hershey School by donating 100 percent of their fortune to underprivileged children. The school, originally created for orphaned boys, is now home to more than 1,800 boys and girls from families in need.


Harrisburg International Airport recently partnered with the Milton Hershey School to create the “Dream Destinations” project. Fueling the students’ creative engines, boys and girls from the kindergarten through fourth grade drew pictures of themselves at a place they wish to one day visit. Each with a different dream location in mind, the students depicted a variety of vacation spots from the magical Disney World in Orlando, FL, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, to the Egyptian Pyramids and the Parisian Eiffel Tower.


Thirty pieces of student artwork currently hang in the HIA terminal

Soaring above our expectations, we will proudly be displaying the “Dream Destinations” artwork on the first floor of the HIA terminal beginning today through May 18th. Please stop by to admire the students’ work and find out a little bit more about the Milton Hershey School as you’re traveling through our facilities.


The partnership between the airport and the Milton Hershey School represents the first of its kind for HIA. The goal of this effort is to share local school students’ creativity and enthusiasm for travel with the wider community that HIA serves. The airport looks forward to continuing this program for years to come with many schools (elementary through post-graduate) throughout the midstate region.


If you’d like to learn more about the Milton Hershey School’s students or ways you can work with The Milton Hershey School to open new doors for children in need, please visit http://www.mhskids.org/.

Fee free?

Yesterday we asked our facebook fans and twitter followers which part of the flying process (outside of the fare itself) would they like to see fee-free.  We received some very constructive feedback from everyone, of the 15 responses received, half of the respondents were frustrated with baggage fees and the other half were an assortment of suggestions related to change fees, parking rates, and the return of free meals and drinks.

Many of the respondents offered tips on how to avoid fees and we'd like to share a few of those with you:

• Know your airline's baggage weight limits and size restrictions.  These vary per airline, so for the airlines serving MDT we've compiled their baggage policies into one convenient quick links location for you.
• If you can travel with just your carry on, do so.
• Pack your own food or snacks in your carry on to avoid having to purchase snack packs or meals while in-flight.  Be sure to review the TSA's policies on what you can/cannot pack in your carry on!
• Purchase a beverage in the terminal once you've cleared the security checkpoint.
• As much as is within your control be certain that your scheduled travel dates actually work for you.  Not all extenuating circumstances can be planned for or know about in advance, but if you know your schedule is "iffy" wait until you have as many of the details worked out as possible before you book your trip.
• If you can buy (book) your airfare on a Tuesday as opposed to over the weekend, you're more likely to save money on the cost of the airfare.  Read this recent article from The Economist magazine for more insight on the best times to purchase a plane ticket.

In summation, our fans and followers find that the more prepared you are for your flight in advance (knowing your food, packing, and air travel needs ahead of time), the better. 

Do you have any travel tips and cost saving measures to add?  Do you think there's a better model for airline fee structures?

Go Red!

HIA employees turned the office red in support of National Wear Red Day.

When you think red in February what first comes to mind?  While many of us may associate this fiery hue with blushing roses and heart-shaped candy boxes for cupid’s favorite holiday, I would encourage you to think again.

The American Heart Association is promoting the Go Red For Women initiative. An effort to not only promote awareness of women’s struggles with heart disease, Go Red seeks to empower all Americans to actively fight back against this killer.

Today, supporters of this initiative were asked to rummage through their closet and wear their brightest, boldest red on National Wear Red Day to spread the word about this #1 killer of women. But don’t fret if you forgot to sport your crimson apparel during the work day, you can always show your passion with fashion tonight by wearing that little red dress or sharp dress shirt if you’re hitting the town.  And if you’re staying in wear your favorite cherry-colored pajamas while you lounge.

If you’d like to do more than just wear red, be red by joining The American Heart Association’s effort to “Tell 5 Friends” about the disease that’s taking the life of 1 in 3 women.

If you like what The American Heart Assocation is doing, you can ‘like’ the non-profit on Facebook, watch their videos on YouTube, or learn more by visiting the Go Red For Women website. 

By taking this one simple step today, we can work together to strengthen America’s hearts tomorrow.