US Airways - November 2012 - (Page 12)

embark Making It Happen behind the Scenes of Your Flight Prep Time US Airways is ready for winter weather long before the first frost. by Tara Titcombe This past summer, while the nation was dealing with some of the hottest temperatures on record, US Airways was busy preparing for colder days ahead. “Our deicing season runs from October through April,” says Vince Costanzo, managing director of station operations support. Planning for winter operations begins in April with a postseason discussion. Numerous departments, including the Operations Control Center, Flight Ops, Safety, Airport Customer Service, and Mainte nance, talk about what worked and what needs improvement for the upcoming season. “This is such a team effort,” Costanzo explains. “So many departments are involved in this process.” Kickoff for deicing operations begins in August. Major deicing stations (including Philadelphia, Charlotte, New York LaGuardia, Washington Reagan, Buffalo, and Boston) present their winter operations plans, which include the status of de icing equipment, deicing fluid capacity and cur rent levels, lessons learned and changes made from the previous year, and anticipated challenges for the season ahead. ★ Green icinG US Airways was one of the first airlines in the U.S. to use bio-glycol, a soybean-based deicing solution. This year, US Airways partnered with its deicing fluid provider to convert the distribution center to EPA-certified green electricity. August also is when station leaders begin to receive training in deicing equipment and safety regulations. (Leaders then train the employees back at their stations.) US Airways’ deicing training is considered one of the best in the airline industry and is even attended by the FAA. At training, lead ers are briefed on the winterization man ual, which contains more than 300 pag Winter BY es of information, regulations, and safety tHe nUMBerS rules. In all, more than 3,000 employees 89: mainline deicing are trained in deicing operations. trucks The stations are then audited to en 88: heater units sure they’re prepared for the season. 88: stations prepped for deicing Each station also completes a selfassess 15–25: minutes on ment checklist, which covers specific average it takes to deitems unique to each location. ice a plane, depending on weather conditions “Our numberone concern is safety,” 140°F: minimum Costanzo says, “both for our customers temperature of heated deicing fluid and for our crew.” illustration by ed fotheringham 12 november 2012 usairwaysmag.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - November 2012

US Airways - November 2012
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Holiday Getaways
Hub Crawl: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Wine & Dine: Mendoza, Argentina Wines
Wine & Dine: Barbecoa Restaurant, London
Adventure: Thrifty in San Francisco
Adventure: Skiing Mt. Baker, Washington
Great Escapes: Red Horse Inn, South Carolina
Gear Up: Bar Ware
Making It Real: America's Historic Sites
Best of Education: Miller School of Albemarle
Silent Heroes: Honor Flight Network
Crossing Borders: Charlotte, North Carolina
Best of Health: Lankenau Medical Center
University Spotlight: University of Dayton
Celebrate Richmond, Virginia
Special Section: Chateau on Central
Must Read: Heisman — The Man Behind the Trophy
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Giving: Miles for Good
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - November 2012