Blog Archives
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Does Cutting Manpower On The Ramp Really Save Money?
By John Goglia - Tuesday November 27, 2012
Sitting at the terminal at Incheon International Airport after a quick trip to Seoul, Korea (well, not that quick if you include the flying time), I watched a new Airbus A-380 being towed to the gate. Soon thereafter catering trucks started toward the aircraft to prepare it for departure. What struck me was that the trucks were being marshaled into position. Not one, but two human beings were actually making sure the catering truck got as close as it needed to the aircraft – but no closer. As you all know, this is not a common sight at U.S. airports these days as it needs to be. For years now, the thinking all over the United States has been if a job could be done with less staff, then by all means eliminate the staff and save on... -
Distaster Recovery After Hurricane Sandy
By John Goglia - Tuesday November 13, 2012
If you lived through or still are living through the effects of Hurricane Sandy, you know that many disaster recovery plans failed for the simple reason that they did not adequately consider the worst case scenarios that actually developed. So while the weather people did a very good job of predicting the confluence of at least two major storm systems and the potential storm surges, many major institutions were still apparently caught short when water flooded out their basements and first floors where emergency generators were located. The extent of gas shortages in the New York and New Jersey area has brought rationing back for the first time in more than three decades. There’s enough finger-pointing to go around about who is to... -
Does An Air Traffic Tower’s Looks Matter?
By John Goglia - Tuesday October 30, 2012
My first job as a mechanic was with United at JFK. But we would regularly be sent over to LaGuardia to work on aircraft. It was 1964 and those were heady days in the borough of Queens. On the drive from JFK we would look over at the futuristic buildings rising on the grounds of the New York’s World’s Fair. Once on the ramp, we were greeted by the Jetson-looking air traffic control tower, which was also completed in 1964, just in time for the World’s Fair that year. Looking up from working on the ramp and seeing that tower made aviation’s future seem bright and hopeful to the young mechanic that I was. I have to say I miss that old tower. Landing at LaGuardia is just not the same. On my near weekly trips to NY – I co-teach two... -
Life Sentence For Baggage Handler
By John Goglia - Tuesday October 23, 2012
Three cheers for New York Federal District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis for sentencing a baggage handler at John F. Kennedy International Airport to life in prison for running a drug-smuggling ring at the airport. As reported by the New York Times , not only was baggage handler Victor Bourne found guilty of smuggling cocaine, he was also found guilty of removing wing panels from passenger jets to access the cocaine “which actions could have brought the plane down during flight.” There is no question that a baggage handler has no business dismantling a wing panel for any reason, let alone to carry out cocaine smuggling activities. It’s frightening to think what damage he could have done and the consequences it could have had... -
Whistle Blowers On The Ramp
By John Goglia - Tuesday October 9, 2012
I’m sure most of you have heard of the allegations of a fueler at Sea-Tac who says he was suspended from his job for raising safety concerns regarding fueling operations at the airport, including broken equipment and fuel leaks. The fueling company denies the allegations and claims the worker was suspended for other reasons. I don’t know the truth of those allegations. The FAA has investigated and was not able to find evidence of the violations alleged – which could mean any number of things, including that the violations were cleaned up in the intervening weeks or that they never existed or a number of possibilities in between. Regardless of the facts of that particular case, the story I’ve been following in the press reminds... -
An Emergency Plan Sitting On A Shelf Is Like No Emergency Plan At All
By John Goglia - Tuesday September 25, 2012
As I participated in another regularly scheduled emergency drill at Logan Airport this past week, I thought of how important these drills are in the event of a real emergency. I have worked in disaster response and emergency planning for decades and it’s clear to me that a well-practiced plan is simply the only way to coordinate an appropriate response in the event of an actual emergency, especially when multiple public and private entities are involved. How practiced is your well-practiced plan? Watching Massport’s drill also got me thinking of how many companies I’ve worked with that prepare elaborate emergency plans – only to never quite find the time to practice them. So often, the only time a plan actually gets used for... -
What Does a Forgotten Chock Tell You?
By John Goglia - Tuesday September 11, 2012
Pushing back from Logan International Airport this week, I – and all the other passengers on the crowded Airbus 320 – felt the unmistakable jolts, sounds and vibrations of the aircraft running over something. Sure enough, as the aircraft completed its 90-degree turn to prepare for departure under its own power, I could plainly see the chocks that had been run over by the aircraft as it was being pushed off the gate. No damage to the chocks – they’re pretty hardy, of course. And there did not appear to be damage to the aircraft – although you don’t want to run over too many objects and damage the tires as that can cause potentially significant safety problems But that’s not the focus of my concern. When chocks are left... -
Tow Bars Really Do Break When You Least Expect It
By John Goglia - Monday August 27, 2012
I know I’ve written about tow bars breaking before in this space. But it’s always worth repeating since a lot of tug drivers seem to drive as though that possibility never occurred to them. Coupled with the drivers perhaps driving a little too fast, I all too frequently see aircraft towed with no one in the cockpit – even though most ground operations manuals require it. Sometimes this is the fault of the ground handling company that doesn’t want to pay for the extra personnel. But sometimes it’s the aircraft owner who doesn’t want anyone in the cockpit who isn’t a direct employee. Security concerns are often the main reason for this decision. Aircraft owners, however, are justifiably picky about the interiors of their... -
Ramp’s Eye View Of Private Flying
By John Goglia - Tuesday August 14, 2012
Once in a while, it’s wonderful to fly on a private jet. OK, it’s always wonderful. A taste of flying private spoils you from the moment your car pulls up to the aircraft. Yes, pulls up to the aircraft. And, of course, there are no check-in lines. No TSA hassles. No lost luggage issues. There is food that’s actually edible, that, in fact, tastes good. Not to mention flying at 43,000 feet far from everyone else. I had the opportunity last week to fly in a brand-new Lear jet from a small general aviation airport in New England to a fairly small commercial airport in Florida. I’m still thinking about how hassle-free that experience was. But of course, on the ground, my attention was focused on ramp operations. With no bag belts... -
Decent Wages for Ramp Workers?
By John Goglia - Tuesday July 31, 2012
Of course, it comes as no surprise to me that ramp workers in a major U.S city are not paid a lot. But to see them highlighted in a study reported in The New York Times is dismaying indeed. According to the Times , the study listed “the city’s worst low-wage employers and industries, those that pay inadequately and fail to offer decent benefits.” Prominent for me on that list were airline contractors who provide baggage handlers and cabin cleaners. I know that the airlines look to the lowest bidder for these jobs, but I also know that the lack of training and turnover among employees – probably caused in good part by the poor wages and benefits – causes problems for the contractors who hire these employees and the...
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