It's been wild for the last few weeks...where to begin...
Summer travel season still hasn't let up at all...and working full loads with only three (yes, THREE) ramp agents during the midshift has been taking it's toll on us. The only thing that has saved us is weather, either here or at destinations, causing ground delays and letting us slow down a little. We had 2 planes on the ground last week that had identical departure times...so the other 2 of us loaded one while I unloaded the other by kicking a bunch of bags out of the cargo bin, loading them up into a bag cart, and diving back in to repeat the process. Entire plane unloaded by one person in 12 minutes. None too shabby, sucker.
Luckily, we've got a bunch of new hires on the way. We've got a new class of something like 12 rampers right now...and we've been training them the last few days. Some will be really good, some won't last long...but a few is all we need. We had another class of something like 8 in training a few weeks ago, but I heard a couple failed either drug tests or FBI background check minimums. So I think we wound up with 4. Of those four, we have 3 left thanks to a minor catasrophe....
So these new hires weren't signed off to drive ANYTHING. No tugs, no beltloaders, hell...they weren't even supposed to move the bag carts. However, one of them drove a tug to run some late bags out to a plane....and barrelled into the right wing. He dragged the cart along the wing, putting some pretty deep gashes into the slats, about a 6"x20"x1/2" deep dent in the number 2 inboard slat, and almost ripped off one of the carbon fiber air separation pylons. Obviously, that bird was going nowhere.
We canceled the flight, hardstanded the aircraft and we had our A&P mechanic on-site in about 15 minutes. He and I took the pictures to send to the MX control folks and they sent out a 4 man crew with a new slat and carbon fiber thingamajiggy. 25 hours and $500,000 later...that bird was ferried back to the hangar at our hub for further inspection and put back into service a couple days later. Either way, this little thing cost the company alot of money...and cost this new guy his job.
Anywhos...I worked the gates a little this week. Not by myself, but I'm trying to learn the gate agent end of the job a little bit...just so I can have the skills I need to move up someday. That shit is stressful. With the exception of dispatch and ATC, that has to be the HARDEST job in the airline industry. Dealing with people who think that they're entitled to yell at you because they bought the cheapest ticket they could find. Uuuggghhh...they make me sick.
I also FINALLY got pushback certified this week. I've been doing it for a while, but they never officially signed me off. About damn time. Executed my first turn this week...135 pax on board...and i'm playing around with the plane on pushback. Scary, eh?
My birthday was last Thursday. I'm a whoppin' 23 now. Mom called me on my cell at 0941 (the minute I was born) like she always does. Like Recklace, I definitely didn't get enough presents...so click here and redeem yourself. And speaking of Lacey...I have a present for her. :)
More to come...
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