Rocket Science
Final Project – Interview Instructions
This project involves connecting with a real-world airport operations employee. It includes interviewing an individual that is currently employed as an airport/airfield operations agent (or some title closely related-not airline/cargo). The person must perform functions and inspections in order to fulfill Part 139 requirements. It also includes a short summary of the airport the interviewee is employed at.
**DO NOT CONTACT AZO** The Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is off-limits for this assignment. Reach outside of our area and make connections elsewhere.
You will reach out to an airport/s to find a representative to interview. The airport can be anywhere and is your choice. It may take some effort and trying of different airports in order to find someone who will speak with you. Please start early and allow enough time to connect with an individual in order to complete the assignment. Be prepared to use emails, phone calls, research to find an individual to speak with.
Start the assignment early in the semester so you complete it on time.
The purpose of this assignment is to give perspective about different paths which lead to airport operations, duties associated with this job, possibility of building your network, and you may learn how many different airports perform the same functions but operate in their own unique way.
Part 1: Airport Information
Provide a summary of the airport your interviewee works at. The summary should contain at least the following information:
- Must be an airport in the U.S.
- Full Airport Name.
- Airport ICAO Identifier.
- How many runways, runway layout (i.e. intersecting, parallel, etc.)
- What commercial category is the airport – Large hub, medium, small hub, non-hub, non-primary? If it is not a commercial airport, state that it is a General Aviation airport and advise how many aircraft operations/based aircraft there are.
- Include any information that pertains directly to your interview, or is interesting or relevant to your interview.
- Include an FAA airport diagram. Retrieve from: https://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/diagrams/
Part 2: Interview with airport operations personnel
Questions to be answered by interviewee:
- Interviewee Name.
- Date of interview.
- Interviewee contact information (this will not be shared and only I will see it)
- Name the airport at which your project/interview takes place.
- Job Title of interviewee.
- What is their work experience? How long has the individual been in airport operations? Has it always been at that specific facility, or did they work at other airports as well?
- Describe their work experience.
- How did they get into airport operations (i.e. college degree, internship, career change, etc.)?
- Is there anything unique about the airport facility (i.e. runway layout, facility next to water, airport in mountain terrain, terminals connected by trains/people mover, etc.)?
- Describe your duties on an average work day? What does a ‘normal’ day look like?
- Describe an incident you were involved in at the airport? What was the incident (what happened), what was your role, what was the incident outcome?
- What is your favorite thing about working in airport operations?
- Ask them anything else you find interesting or relevant.
