On Friday, April 12, Meridian sent four representatives to share their experiences and promote the diverse opportunities within the aviation field.
Line Service Manager Nehemias Camacho spoke of the role of the Line Service Technician, as well as the Customer Service Representative. He painted a picture of the day-to-day of both positions and spoke of the unique skill sets these positions build.
Emil Iannone, Director of Operations, stressed the diversity of career paths within the Dispatch, Customer Assurance and Sales positions. Emil spoke on the many different factors in ensuring that each flight goes according to plan, and how each role contributes to the flight’s success.
Celine Martinez and Matthew Barclay spoke about the aviation-specific aspects of their roles within Human Resources and Marketing, respectively, and how the industry needs business employees as well as aviation-specific ones.
For the past few years, it has been the goal of the business aviation industry to attract youth into the aviation field. Meridian has and will continue to reach out to our local community to welcome the next generation into the industry.
Tag: aviation
Last week, Meridian sent a team of eight down to West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to represent the company at the first NBAA Regional Forum of 2016. Although the weather was a bit challenging with heavy rains throughout the South Florida region, the business aviation community was undaunted, and showed up in numbers to the event on Thursday, Jan. 28, as more than 2,200 people turned out for the event. With 120 exhibitors and 25 aircraft on static display, the event set an attendance record for NBAA’s South Florida forums.
Florida state Sen. Maria Sachs who represents the Palm Beach area, welcomed attendees to her state, noting it’s first in the country for aircraft manufacturing – and officials plan to work hard to stay on top through tax and other initiatives.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen agreed, “Florida is a great place for business aviation,” adding that the industry “has a bright future in this country and around the world.” However, he said, business aviation is facing an attack from those in Congress looking to create a privatized ATC system, funded by user fees, as part of the debate underway in Washington over reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Such proposals, Bolen noted, could severely limit business aircraft operators’ access to airports and airspace.
Many airlines, Bolen explained, want a system governed by a private entity, rather than the federal government, and that won’t work for business aviation. “This is a fundamentally flawed concept,” he said.
“It’s an effort by airlines to gain control and operate [the ATC system] for their benefit,” Bolen said, noting that the vast majority of airports in this county are not served by airlines. It’s business aviation, he said, that provides access to small communities around the country, and is responsible for more than 1.1 million jobs in the U.S.
Bolen urged attendees to contact lawmakers using NBAA’s online Contact Congress tool, and make their voices heard on the issue. “We’ve got to make our voice heard, let’s do that today,” he said. “Our concern is this can move forward so fast, it could be over before you see the details.” View NBAA’s online Contact Congress resource.
Many exhibitors praised the regional forum as an essential event for meeting new and current customers.
“It’s very helpful for us to have a presence here, said Corey Hanlon, marketing and community relations coordinator for New Jersey’s Morristown Airport. “It’s important to let people know that in the New York/New Jersey area there are several [airport] alternatives.”
Ivette Pla, director at Jetex in Miami, FL, agreed. “The regional shows are important because the regional flight departments don’t make it to the bigger shows.”
“It’s been very good, there’s a large amount of traffic from a lot of the operators I deal with,” said Brian Sprecher, Southeast regional sales manager with Constant Aviation. “At these shows I can see 30 operators in a day. I can have a lot of face time with a lot of operators in a short amount of time.”
The importance of NBAA regional forums also extends to the future of the industry, with students from nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and elsewhere coming to talk with attendees and exhibitors and learn what business aviation may offer them in terms of career options.
Also, at PBI, ERAU graduate Shaeta Waiz, a pilot, debuted the Beechcraft Bonanza airplane she will be piloting in her attempt to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. Waiz’s journey kicks off June 2 from Daytona Beach, FL, and the planned 90-day trek is slated to include 35 stops on five continents, with events on each designed to empower young women to pursue STEM (science, technology engineering and math) education and “soar.”
“It’s an opportunity for young women to come together and share their successes,” said Waiz, who was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. “I want this to shed hope and give others some inspiration.”
The other NBAA regional forums for 2016 will be held June 9 in Van Nuys, CA, and Sept. 15 in White Plains, NY.
Meridian pilot Joanna Brinkerhoff went back to school recently, but not to renew her pilot’s license. She went to Clara E. Coleman elementary school in Glen Rock, NJ, to speak to a local Girl Scout troop about her career in aviation and the opportunities available today for women. Joanna is a charter pilot for Meridian Air Charter based in Teterboro, NJ, and she flies business jets for a living. Captain Brinkerhoff wanted to ‘give back’ because she was once a Girl Scout herself, and this was a great opportunity for her to share her professional experiences with the Girl Scouts of today.
Among the scouts was Hanna Liliebladh, daughter of Lisa Liliebladh, a charter sales representative at Meridian for over 19 years. Lisa was very excited for her daughter and the other Girl Scouts because they would get to learn firsthand about her chosen career path in aviation directly from a female pilot and fellow colleague. “Joanna was great. She arrived in uniform and talked to the girls about how to become a pilot, and then she spoke about her experience as a woman pilot. She told the story of how she first became interested in aviation at a young age when her father’s friend flew them in his small piston airplane. At that point, she knew immediately that she wanted to become a pilot. Joanna did some show-and-tell as well, bringing her headset, plotting charts, pilot’s license and aviation maps. As a bonus, she even brought her old Girl Scouts uniform, and her mother’s uniform too!”
Assisting her was her husband, Sean Falzarano, who is also a pilot. Sean is a commercial pilot flying for Express Jet Airlines. After the aviators gave their presentation to the Girl Scouts, the children of Daisy’s Troop 96867 wrote letters and drew pictures to show their appreciation.
On Friday, April 24, 2015, Meridian proudly celebrated Career Day by hosting local high school students and giving them a flavor for what it’s like to work in Aviation. Three busloads of students arrived throughout the morning from Becton Regional High School, New Milford High School and Barringer High School, with each school sending 25 students.
Prior to arriving at Meridian, the 2015 Career Expo made several stops in and around Teterboro Airport. The first stop was at the Teterboro Airport Administrative Building, where exhibitors from various agencies (Port Authority of NY & NJ, FAA, and TSA) provided information and interacted with students. Next was a stop at the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters (ARFF) building, where the classes received a tour by the Port Authority ARFF Unit.
The next stop was Meridian. The students were greeted in the main lobby where Betsy Wines, VP of Customer Service & HR, and Andrea Politis, Customer Service Representative, introduced the students to the world of Customer Service and Fixed Base Operators (FBOs). Then they were given a complete tour of the Meridian facility by Amber Salvatore, Meridian’s Event Planner.
The first stop along the tour was the Meridian main hangar where John Langschultz, VP of Maintenance, displayed various aircraft maintenance parts and tools, including a cockpit voice recorder, a fire bottle, an aircraft wheel, and an electronic locator transmitter.
The tour then continued to the Line Service Department, where Carlos Rodriguez, Line Service Training & Safety Coordinator, educated the students about careers in Line Service. On display were several items commonly used by Line Service technicians, including a deicer and a tug with an attached tow-bar. The display was then followed by a walk to the Line shack where students were able to look out a window to view live ramp operations and ask questions.
The tour then went upstairs to the Charter Department, where Amber showed the young visitors the various aspects of Charter operations, including sales, flight support, quality assurance, safety, and other aspects of the business. After the tour was completed, the students boarded their buses and ended their day at the Teterboro Operations building (Hangar 1) for lunch.
Each year, the Career Expo is organized by Teterboro Airport Operations to expose students to Aviation as a dynamic and long-term career opportunity. While last year the expo was limited to only juniors and seniors, this year the schools were open to all students who expressed an interest in aviation. Meridian was proud to participate in today’s activities in helping the future of our industry.
Last week, all Meridian employees were required to participate in the first part of a two-day class called ‘Human Factors’. The objective of this course is to raise awareness of human error and to develop ways to prevent or reduce the occurrence and consequences of human error in aviation. The expansion of human factors awareness is the single most significant opportunity to make aviation both safer and more efficient. The course is taught by Global Jet Services (GJS), a leader in on-location training since 1992. GJS provides world class customer service while maintaining the highest degree of quality, flexibility, value, and safety.
Human Factors is a valuable course and it is highly recommended by the FAA and EASA. The course is also approved for Inspection Authorization (IA) and maintenance training. John Langschultz, VP Meridian Jet Center, has this to say, “Safety begins at the maintenance level, but it is ultimately the responsibility of everyone in the company. This course shows how human performance can affect aviation operations. Human errors account for 80% of aviation incidents, and this course teaches how we are all responsible for safety, and how we can improve safety and efficiency by understanding how external variables affect personnel.”
The second part of the course will be taught on-site at Meridian in August 2013.
Teterboro, NJ – In late September, Meridian Jet Center, located at Teterboro Airport in Bergen County, NJ, hosted two aviation-sponsored seminars that supported continuing education in aircraft maintenance and repair. The first seminar was sponsored by Duncan Aviation on September 22, and it covered a wide range of topics that included the 731 Oil System, Maintenance Tracking, Bridging the Gap between NDT and Maintenance, Future Air Mandates, Flammability Testing, Aerospace Sealants, and EASy II Program Updates. The classes were approved for IA renewal credits.
The second seminar was sponsored by SATCOM Direct, and it was held on September 27. The four-hour seminar also covered a wide range of topics that included Flight Deck and Cabin Security, FANS-1/A and CPDLC, Smartphone and Tablet Applications, New Service Offerings, and Troubleshooting.
Both seminars were free-of-charge and held in the Meridian 3rd floor Training Room. Breakfast and lunch were provided complimentary for the attendees. Meridian will be hosting several more seminars in the coming months. To get on our email list, please contact us at jetcenter@meridian.aero.
Teterboro, NJ – On September 22, Meridian Teterboro will be hosting one of many Duncan Aviation-sponsored Intelli-Conferences, a series of regional symposiums and educational business aviation events. The one-day symposium will provide a face-to-face forum discussion with industry experts on hot industry topics, including courses with Inspector Authorization (IA) renewal credit.
Classes will include topics such as:
- The 731 Oil System
- Aircraft Paint: A Primer
- Getting Your Aircraft Business Online
- Failure to Follow Procedures
- Aviation Maintenance Model Code of Conduct
- F.A.N.S.
There is no charge for the event, but seating is limited. Registration is open now. For more information, please contact Bob Brega, Regional Manager at Duncan Aviation.
Direct: (570) 759-2759
Mobile: (570) 807-6383
Fax: (570) 759-2758
Unlike the heatwave experienced at the NBAA Regional Forum in White Plains last month, the weather was much cooler, with clear and sunny skies in San Jose. Meridian is full-service private jet company located at Teterboro Airport, NJ (TEB), just minutes from New York City. Featured services include an FBO, charter sales, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft sales and management.
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Meridian Supports Aviation Hall of Fame
- Meridian Table at Aviaiton Hall of Fame Induction Dinner (May 11, 2011)
TETERBORO, NJ – On May 11, 2011, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey held its Annual Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood Ridge, NJ. Each year 4 New Jerseyans are inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame for having made significant contributions to the development of NJ’s aviation heritage.
Meridian is proud to be an ongoing sponsor of this noteworthy event. In 2008, Ken Forester Sr., founder of Meridian, was honored for being a NJ aviation pioneer with his induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame. Mr. Forester was in attendance at this year’s event, along with many other Meridian associates.
Meridian congratulates the 2011 inductees:
· Howard Levy – Prolific, professional aviation photographer with over 245,000 images to his credit
· William L. Mack – Round-the-world jet speed record setter and avionics designer
· Dr. Joseph E. Salvatore – Founder of the largest aviaiton museum in NJ
· General Norton Schwartz – Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Meridian is a full-service award winning private aviation company headquartered in Teterboro, New Jersey for over 60 years. Still privately owned and operated today, Meridian’s accumulated expertise offers a complete suite of professional aviation services:
· Meridian Teterboro-FBO Services
· Meridian Jet Center-FAA authorized repair station
· Meridian Air Charter
· Meridian Aircraft Management
· Meridian Jet Center Detailing
For more information, or to charter a jet in our fleet, visit www.meridianaircharter.com, or call one of our travel professionals, 24 hours a day at 1-800-882-2333.
From August 30th thru September 2, 2010, Meridian employees will be working with ServiceElements, an Arizona based service training company that focuses on Aviation workshops. The theme of the workshops will be “Building a Service Culture” which is based off of a book published by Mario Martinez and Bob Hobbi, both of ServiceElements. “The purpose of inviting ServiceElements to work with our staff, is so that we can hone our customer service skills” said Betsy Wines, VP of Customer Service and Human Resources. “We know that our people and facility have been recognized nationally in the Professional Pilot Prase Survey, AIN FBO Survey, and FltPlan.com Pilots Choice survey, but we always feel we can do better.” This will be the fifth time that Meridian has worked with ServiceElements.