• Happy Birthday to Deen Walker, 12/28; Angel Hatch, 12/12; and John Thompson, 12/10! Don’t party too hard!
• Dianna, thank you for helping in FLL during the Boat Show.  We always miss you when you’re gone!
• Congratulations to Jeff Bennett for completing one year of service on 12/4.  Thank you for your dedication!
• Deen treated the staff to Mugs n Jugs for another accident/incident free month. We love our Mugs!!
• PIE welcomes the Army Reserve to our new hangar 12.  We look forward to servicing their fleet of Blackhawks.

• Congratulations to Riki Barilla, who celebrates her 3 year anniversary this month!
• The runways at LGA airport are now open 24 hours. Construction on the runways has ceased as of November 17th.
• LGA got its first taste of snow with some quick flurries on November 18th. Get ready for de-icing, guys!
• We would like to welcome our newest addition to our line service team, Gerald Moise.
• Birthday wishes this month go out to Rolando Paris!
• We would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

From Greg Mink on 17-Nov-2008

“Excellent and attentive line crew. Outstanding front desk support. The way an FBO should be run. Well done!”

LINE SERVICE TOPIC: KVA/GPU SAFETY OPERATIONS

Providing electrical power to aircraft via a portable power unit is something we all do everyday. At most bases we have both 115V 400 Cycle A/C and 28V D/C power units.

There are several reasons flight crews, or mechanics will request a power unit. The primary reason is to save battery power while starting engines, running air conditioning, setting up navigation software, or running system checks.

If you have not received training, and have been signed off as power unit qualified please have a qualified member of your service team present for the following step by step procedures:

Connection procedures

• Select the correct power unit for  the aircraft requirements
• Perform an equipment check to verify safety and operational items
• Safely reposition the power unit on the aircraft. Exhaust gas must not enter the cabin, and the unit must not block the baggage compartment
• Ensure that the unit is a minimum 10 ‘ away from the fuel vents
• Set the parking brake, place a set of chocks on a tire, disconnect the tow arm from the tow vehicle, and place the “IN USE” sleeve on the tow arm
• Only connect the power plug to the power receptacle when the flight crew, or mechanic is ready for power
• Start the unit, and allow it to warm up if cold
• Bring the unit up to operating RPM, build correct voltage, and close the contacts
• Verify with the flight crew, or mechanic that the correct voltage is present
• PRIOR TO ENGINE START, hearing protection must be worn, the safety circle around the aircraft must be clear of FOD or any other items that could pose a safety hazard
• Use proper hand signals during engine start. The flight crew will signal engine start, and then the power unit disconnect via hand signals

Disconnect procedures

• Open the contacts. This will stop the electrical current from going to the aircraft. Never remove a power plug from an aircraft with out performing this step first. An electrical arc could spike the aircraft and cause damage
• Throttle the unit down to idle. Do not shut the unit off, as engine damage could occur. Allow unit to idle for 2-4 minutes before shut down.
• Remove plug from the aircraft receptacle, and secure the receptacle panel (If Equipped). Safely stow cable and plug on unit.
• Signal to the flight crew that the plug has been removed using proper hand signals, and safely direct the aircraft off of your ramp.
• Remove the “In Use” sleeve from the tow arm, hook arm to tow unit, remove chocks, place the parking brake to the off position, and safely park the unit in its approved parking area.
• Ensure the unit has the parking brake on, and a set of chocks placed on a tire when in the parking area.

Note: Never leave a power unit connected to the tow vehicle when the power cord is connected to the aircraft. It is a violation of Sheltair Safety Standards.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TOPIC: Security

We must all be aware of the importance of security while maintaining the need of customers in a safety focused environment. Customer Service is responsible for monitoring ramp access at all SheltAir locations, and this entails prevention of unauthorized persons and vehicles entering an AOA area. Please work as a team to ensure that this security process is being followed and adhered to at all time.

Just a quick note to say that I’ve updated our photo gallery, which you can access from the “Photo Gallery” link in the black menu bar above. (Now you don’t have to click off of our blog site to see our gallery!)

From James Baum on 08-Nov-2008

“I have used SheltAir at KORL a couple of times now and been very satisfied. The facilities are top-notch and the staff is friendly and helpful. This is now my regular FBO whenever I come to Orlando.”

LINE SERVICE TOPIC:

Prior to, and during injecting additive into Jet-A you must check several items:

• Adequate supply of additive in the storage container on the truck. Never let it go below half.
• Ensure that all valves are set for injection (Air supply, Additive supply, and Injector supply).
• Check the supply lines, and ensure they are not pinched thus preventing additive from flowing.
• Check the storage container dryer tube. If no blue color is visible it must be replaced. Moisture (WATER) in the additive will be injected into the fuel, and the aircraft.
• Visually verify that additive in being injected every time.
• Ensure that you are using gloves during the fueling operation to protect your hands.
• Ensure that you are using wing protection mats to avoid scratches.

If at anytime you suspect a failure, or if additive is not being injected stop pumping and contact a supervisor or manager. Low volume % or no % of additive will cause engine flame-out at altitude. The aircraft will have to descend and attempt to restart the engine(s).

The flame-out is caused by ice forming on the fine micron filters, and in fuel lines present in the fuel system. Worst case scenario the aircraft must make a non-powered landing, or what’s known as a “dead stick landing”. This would trigger an investigation by federal and industrial authorities, and could expose the company to serious liability.

Always inspect the supply line making sure it is not pinched or cracked!

NetJets 400XP Fuel-Heater Modifications

NetJets has completed the process of retrofitting their Hawker 400XP fleet with a Fuel/Oil Heat Exchanger (FOHE). All new 400XP deliveries from the manufacturer will have the FOHE installed.  This modification allows the aircraft to be fueled without the Fuel System Icing Inhibitor (FSII), also known as Prist®.

Our CE-560 Ultra fleet still requires FSII, please have your Fueling Technicians verify the Prist requirement with the flight crew before fueling. You can also verify the tail number and the fleet type via our supplier web site (http://suppliers.netjets.com).

As a NetJets policy, all fueling must be supervised (at the aircraft) by a NetJets flight crewmember. Do not fuel an unsupervised aircraft. A NetJets crew member must be present at all times

CUSTOMER SERVICE TOPIC: Did you know?

• 90% of customers will never buy from you again if you offend them, but,
• 75% of customers will come back if you work hard to solve their problems and win them back.

These statistics seem a bit confusing: 90% won’t come back, but 75% will come back if we try to solve their problems?

Quite simply, this means that most organizations are not even making the effort to win back those customers who were offended. Isn’t it worth at least listening to the voice of the customer and finding out why they were offended? If you make the effort, statistics say that you will win back lost customers three out of four times. Now that’s a winning average!

From Mandy in PIE:

Two very special “Happy Birthdays” go to Richard “Mo” Magoon (11/30), and Jeff Bennett (11/4)!

LINE SERVICE TOPIC: Fuel Spills Procedures:

Fuel spills happen often and are not taken serious enough. I am talking about the proper clean up procedures and possibilities of major injury. When fuel spills on a wing, tarmac or the fueler take immediate action.

Step 1: Stop the flow of fuel. Place a Fire Extinguisher upwind of the spill.
Step 2: Notify your supervisor. Notify the Airport Fire Department.
Step 3: Do not move a refueler, start or turn off any equipment. If an engine is off do not start it.
Step 4: If you are properly trained and have the proper equipment you may start the clean up process.

If you encounter a fuel spill remember these potential ignition sources:

• Hot brakes
• Hot engine surfaces and defective or improperly installed exhaust systems
• Static electricity from aircraft, improper clothing, plastic or galvanized buckets or funnels
• Matches and lighters
• Jet engine exhaust
• Thunderstorms and lightning
• Portable electrical equipment such as: cell phones, pagers or 2 way radios etc.

Fuel or Chemical Spill Report- Must be filled out by anyone involved in or a witness to a fuel/chemical spill. This will assist us in identifying cause of the spill or equipment defects as well as any environmental reporting procedures we must comply with

Remember, lives have been lost because safe fuel handling procedures were not followed. It is your responsibility to make sure that all refueling operations are done safely and correctly.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TOPIC: Anticipating Customer Needs:

Success for every business will depend on relationship quality – the ability to track and remember what works for each individual customer.  Each time a customer talks to you, you become smarter and better at meeting this customer’s needs.  They have invested time and energy overtime teaching you what they want.  Before long, you are providing them with products and services that are not only top quality, but distinctly the best available anywhere for them.

Because they have worked with you to create a way of doing business that they know, it is literally more valuable to them than anything a competitor can provide.  Anticipating ahead of time all the particular needs of your customers will definitely make and keep them happy.  What normally separates the best FBO’s and service levels in general, is anticipating and handling customer problems when they arise.

Our customers should not have problems, but they may from time to time.  We need to be ready to take ownership of customer problems and assure them that we will accommodate them and rectify issues and problems if and when they arise.

LINE SERVICE TOPIC: Ramp Inspections:

Recently we had an aircraft vent fuel on the ramp for an unknown amount of time. When the pilot arrived for departure, he decided to taxi the aircraft from the RON backline to the frontline #1 spot, approximately 100 feet away. The following morning, after the aircraft departed a fuel spill was discovered on the backline in the location the aircraft sat for two days. The fuel spill unfortunately drained off the ramp into the soil. This is one example why it is imperative that daily ramp checks are conducted.

Ramp inspections shall be conducted at the beginning of each shift and each employee shall be aware of hazards or potential hazards as part of their daily routine. Employees that observe hazards shall notify their supervisor and make the proper corrections if possible. These hazards may include but are not limited to:

• Fuel/chemical leaks
• Security
• Damaged aircraft/equipment
• FOD “see it, pick it up”
• Equipment chocked and secured
• All aircraft shall be double chocked for ramp operations (both mains). Triple chocked for over-night parking.
• All Aircraft shall be coned off with four (4) cones. One (1) on each wing tip, one (1) for the nose and one (1) for the tail.

!!! CAUTION SLIPPERY WHEN WET !!!

SheltAir has invested not only in new hangars but also in remodeling and resurfacing existing hangar floors with a shinny high gloss finish. These floors when wet can become slippery and must be kept as dry as possible with the caution slippery when wet cones in position until the floor is completely dry. Not only must all water be mopped up but also any fluids leaking from aircrafts positioned in the hangars. It is also very important that any tow vehicles used in hangar movements have sufficient tread on all tires; if the tread is worn low the equipment must be taken out of service until the tire is replaced.

• The economy may be down, but flight training in DAB is still strong! Even though corporate traffic has slowed, our line service techs are still working hard to provide Embry Riddle and Phoenix East with 100LL; sometimes pumping over 3.000 gallons of Avgas a day.  (When you consider that the fuel is delivered in increments of 10-20 gallons at a time, you appreciate those kinds of volumes and the work that goes into it!)
• Also helping us meet make some extra money are the extra charter operations we’ve been handling.  Between college football and both presidential candidates, SheltAir Daytona has been the ground handler of choice for charters recently.
• Celebrating anniversaries this month are Rene Huber (2 years) and Arvin Weese (4 years).  Birthday wishes go out to Robert Cavetti, Shawn Cunningham, Mike Lerma and Angel Santaigo.  Congrats and best wishes to all!

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• Happy Birthday to Anthony Csalovszki, hopefully you won’t be late for this one!!!
• Mike Seidel is celebrating one year of service with Sheltair Aviation. Thank you to Mike for keeping all our equipment safe and operative. Also a huge thank you for assisting a few of our other locations during events, etc.
• Congratulations to Justin Tucker for his new role of Safety Training Coordinator. Thank you, Justin, for your attention to detail and continued service here in JAX.
• Johnson & Johnson’s entire fleet of Gulfstream 4 & 5’s visited JAX this month for a Board of Directors meeting. Thank you to all of our staff for making this 4 day event accident free and enjoyable for both crew and passengers. We have received multiple phone calls/emails from the J&J staff in appreciation of all our hard work.
• Sarah Palin and company also stopped by JAX this month for a downtown political rally. Approximately 100 McCain/Palin staff members were present for this event including live press. An outstanding performance to all of our employees that made this event safe and secure. A big thank you to Chris Black and our second shift staff for making this happen!!!
• Jacksonville also hosts the NAS JAX Air Show show this month at the Naval Air Station. Pictures from the show will be posted later this month.

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• During the recent Presidential Debate at Hofstra, Senator Obama’s wife Michelle flew into Republic using our FBO.
• Special Thanks to the whole staff for the handling of the two charters for Allegiant & Jet Blue (College Teams)
• Special Thanks to Andrew Velez, Chris Anderson, & Matt Bendersky on the DOT Audit.
• Welcome to our new Customer Service Rep – Laura Cerillo starting 10/27/08
• Happy Birthday to Chris Anderson on 10/6 and Harald Aukland on 11/7!

• PBG has now been in operation for over a year now and since becoming part of the Sheltair Network we have and continue to grow.  Originally starting out with 8 employees, and currently we have grown to a total of 21 employees offering a wide range of services from FBO operations to our Airline Operation for above and below the wing services. This November we will also have completed one year of operation in our Airline Service with Allegiant Airlines being our major operator here in PBG and things still continue to grow.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support.
• SheltAir Aviation Services would like to welcome the following to the Plattsburgh Team: Julie Bajanowski, Victoria Palmer, Jason Smart, and Scott Giannone.

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• October in Orlando started with the NBAA convention. With over 115 jets we had better then expected traffic. Thanks to all the staff here who put in long hours in preparation for this event.
• We would also like to thank  Mike Lerma, James Brunswick and Bug from DAB, Matt Ryba and Nick Shea from PIE their help was greatly appreciated.
• Our senior management team Tom Craft, Jonathan Buff and John (no tip) Parrino for their contribution. Charlie Ringler for his prep work and Suzanne MacPherson for her driving skills. And a special thanks to Joe Rosello, Brandon Coleman, Mandy Watenpool and Andrea Bahr for their outstanding organizational skills that made this a very successful event.
• Happy October Birthday to Michelle Ward
• Congratulations to Rossanna Ardoguein who completed another year with SheltAir Aviation.

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• We have had a lot of activity with MLB’s Post Season games.  We’ve handled the Boston Red Socks, Tampa Bay Rays, and Philadelphia Phillies charter’s this just this past week.
• The NFL hosted an owners meeting this month at the Vinoy at in downtown St. Petersburg.  The Cowboys, Steelers, Cardinals, Giants, Texans, Falcons are just few of the teams who came through SheltAir.  Some of us were pretty excited about the Steelers aircraft! J
• Dianna and Heather were treated to lunch at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa.  This was the first viewing since the completed renovations.  Dianna was able to use our 20% discount at spa this month too!
• Our construction is complete!  We have added overhangs to our front and ramp door. Our ramp extension was completed just in time for the World Series, and our new hangars are almost full.
• Tampa Bay Rays making history!  We are so proud of our home team, and are thankful for the increase in traffic!

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• Our condolences go out to one of our tenants Liz Miller.  Her Mother passed away last week.
• “Congratulations” to Line Technician Jeremy Boon who has completed 1 year of service with us at PFN.”
• Happy Birthday” to Jeremy Boon 10/29 and David Dial 10/23
• A very special “Thank You” to Brittany “Baby Bug” Rowley for coming and assisting while recruiting a new CSR.
• Welcome aboard to our newest CSR Larkin Fraiman.  We are glad you are part of the team.
• The new Airport construction is still ahead of schedule,  They have recently approved the length of one of the runways at 10,000 feet.  The airport is pretty confident they will be able to attract international traffic as well as some of the major carriers when the new airport opens.  Additionally the airport has approved the bid for construction of the new terminal.

• Back to Back Stony Brook University Football charters on Jet Blue Airbus A-320s.  Hats off to everyone involved with making these events run incredibly smooth yet again!
• We look forward to four more charters at the end of this month.  Two more Stony Brook Football Jet-Blue Charters and Two Gardner-Webb Football Charters.
• We continue to look up at the construction of a new Control Tower at Islip.  It looks like it’s almost complete!
• This month Islip witnessed an interesting aircraft.  We were graced with the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter!
• We are happy to see our oldest truck wearing a new piece of flare.  Truck 504 received two BIG night-reflective SheltAir stickers down the side of the truck.
• Ramp Master 5112 is back from its pleasant summer in the Hamptons!  We missed it and are glad to have it back.
• Our brand new “low-boy” Lavatory cart is getting prepped up for the cold NY winter.  It is being fitted with a heater to keep the new no-stain flush water from freezing inside critical components.
• We had a Department of Defense audit this month.  Flawless with no corrective actions!  Great job to Steve and Andrew for their Quality control presentation!
• Happy Birthday to Operations Manager Everett Brady.  October 18th.
• Congratulations to Line Service Supervisor Robert Schindlar on his one year anniversary with Sheltair.  Rob had been with the Long Island Jet center for many years.  He returned to the Islip Sheltair one year ago, after a brief hiatus.
• Next Month we will see the anniversaries of all of the old Long Island Jet Center Crew!  November 8th, 2006, SheltAir became our new name!  Two years as SheltAir employees and we look forward to many more! The old crew includes: Everett Brady, Becky Cannizzaro, Nick “Nicky” Como, Steve Demacos, Chrissy Fraczak, Jon “1-Task” McCleery and Laura Sacco.

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

• Congratulations again on another safe month!  Nice job everyone!
• Safety BBQ this Sunday!
• CSR Jackie Caltagirone, received an “outstanding” score from Eric Hermann on her shop call in October! Way to go Jackie!
• FOK’s Operations Manager, Kevin Malinowski has moved into a new career with Air Traffic Control.  He was chosen for New York center, Congratulations! Kevin will be missed and we wish him the absolute very best of luck. Thank you Kevin for many years of dedication and hard work!
• Line Service Supervisor William Martinez has also chosen a new career path as a Charter Assistant. We wish him lots of luck in his future endeavors. A big thank you goes out to Will for his years of super service with our company!!!
• Coming  soon…We’ll soon be starting construction on a new FBO facility, a new hanger, and more ramp space!  We can’t wait!
• The following quote is a little something to keep in mind when handling the occasional challenges of interacting with customers and fellow co-workers:

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”
- Lucius Annaes Seneca

Just remember that everyone you encounter deserves at least a kind smile or gesture, and a general acknowledgment of their presence.  Make your customers and your co-workers feel welcome by showing a simple act of kindness!

• Birthday wishes this month go out to Wash Bannister, Darryl Warner and Aurelia Sanhop!
• LGA would like to welcome Rolando Parris, our newest addition to the SheltAir team!
• This month, we are continuing the handling of charters affiliated with the Presidential Campaign. Keep up the good work guys!
• We would like to congratulate Cesar Rizik on the birth of his first grandchild! Jayleen was born 7 lbs, 11 ounces on October 18th. Congrats, GRANDPA!

• Happy Birthday to: Gabriel Rodriguez – 11/9, Marla Stenger – 11/11, Alvaro Ramirez – 11/14, Chanan Meshulam – 11/15, Bill Griffith – 11/20, Ainsley Dyer – 11/20 and Jen Colon – 11/30.
• The following people are celebrating anniversaries with Sheltair FLL this month: Angel Basantes – 9 years, Anthony Scott – 5 years and John Rhoden – 1yr.
• Sonia’s Baby Shower Surprise Luncheon: Sonia Nixon was extremely surprised when our entire SheltAir family in Fort Lauderdale came together to celebrate! A Special “Thank You” goes out to all who participated in the event by bringing a “unique” dish of choice, donating sick days and/or offering gifts. Best wishes to our Customer Service Representative Sonia!
• Comment Card Raffle Winners for SheltAir Fort Lauderdale:1st place: Alan Beck             Prize: $100.00 gift card
  2nd place: Diana Poore         Prize: $50.00 gift card
  3rd place: Gus Agosta         Prize: $25.00 gift card

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

From Newsletter Pics: October 2008

LINE SERVICE SAFETY TOPIC: EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS:

SheltAir has made a commitment to our customers to provide the best maintained equipment.  With this said, all employees are required to conduct an equipment inspection prior to each use.  Equipment which is found with discrepancies or is deemed unsafe must be taken out of service and written-up for repairs.  Further Lock/Out Tag/Out procedures may be required.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TOPIC: BAGGAGE ASSISTANCE:

We must provide a consistent level of service regarding luggage handling be it ramp side, curbside, or in the lobby.

• Each arriving aircraft is to be met with a luggage cart in addition to our “red carpet” service.
• Always offer to off –load and load passenger and crew luggage to and from their aircraft and their vehicle.
• Be alert to any possible handling instructions.
• Always offer to carry passenger and crew bags. They are never expected to have to carry their own bags.

From Evan Warren on 15-Oct-2008

SheltAir at Republic is one of the classiest FBOs I’ve seen. When our FBO needed to update software, SheltAir’s GM was more than willing to invite us down and talk with us about potential software packages that he currently uses. The attention to detail and customer service is absolutely impeccable. This is a REAL class act.