Window Seat Issue No2 July 2013 by Miami International Airport

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

Issue No. 2

Employee Spotlight

July 2013

Director’s Message

Peter Ferrer landside Operations Congratulations to Landside Officer Peter Ferrer, MIA’s Employee Of The Month for May 2013. On April 30, Pedro overheard a family’s frustration about missing their connecting flight because of bad weather and wanted to help. The family included two cousins, one of whom was seven months pregnant and traveling with a four-year-old son. They booked a hotel room where they could spend the night but after a series of unfortunate circumstances, they did not have a way to pay for the cab fare to the hotel. Pedro overheard their dilemma and insisted on paying their fare despite the cousins’ refusal to accept money. Here’s what the said about Pedro in a letter to us, “This gentleman was truly our savior that day and there aren’t enough words to say how grateful we are. Pedro is no stranger to outstanding acts of customer service and receives compliments from passengers on a regular basis. In January 2012, a taxi driver handed him a bag containing more than $4 million worth of money and jewelry left in the taxi by a passenger, and Pedro was able to help return the bag intact to the owner.

Since my first newsletter, I have spent a lot of time in airplane seats.

It’s good to be home. I’ve had some amazing experiences I want to share with you. In June, I went to the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France. What an amazing experience. Over 300,000 people from 44 countries attended the show including thousands of journalists, aviation professionals and heads of state. Over $150M U.S. dollars in contracts were made and 1,250 aircraft were sold. I went to Paris with Governor Rick Scott, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and other officials to represent Florida’s commitment to recruiting international aviation and aerospace business. We made excellent contacts and as a result of our work in Paris, the Governor and Mayor Gimenez were able to announce that the French aircraft manufacturer, ATR, will relocate its American headquarters from Virginia to Miami Springs. Mayor Gimenez is also considering bringing an international aerospace trade show to Miami in 2016. So this year, it was especially important to see the logistics in Paris.

Issue No. 2

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

CUSTOMER COMMENTS

July 2013

At the air show, there was an amazing array of aircraft, 150 to be exact. The displays and demonstrations were awesome. Especially interesting, were the remote-controlled, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones.

“Your employee’s big heart and big smile really aided my arrival after a long trip.” Jeff Monaghan Monaco

“I have filled up three passports in 25 years of international travel. I would like to commend your staff for going out of their way. That is quite unexpected in airports -- extraordinary service to a very distraught passenger.” D.J. Pionzio, Jr. Boulder, Colorado

Italian HammerHead unmanned aircraft system UAS

It’s hard to say what the most amazing thing was at the show, but this video of the Russian fighter Su35 pretty much sums it up.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a01329aef79a7Post:4d83fa8d-5080-44b6-9922-26db4499a89b

charles de gaulle airport (CDG)

As part of the trip, I was given a personal tour of CDG by Franck Goldnadel, Airport Managing Director. Mr. Goldnadel’s professionalism and warm hospitality really shone through as he showed us the best CDG has to offer. I’ve invited Mr. Goldnadel and his team to visit MIA in September to talk about a partnership exchange. CDG has a 6,000 sq. ft. hall of luxury brands which epitomize Parisian chic with stunning stores such as Hermès, Chanel, and Chloé. Shopping there with my wife Gloria was probably the most dangerous part of my trip.

Issue No. 2

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

July 2013

For me, the highlight of the tour was a visit to CDG’s communications center—it was like a visit to the Pentagon. Amazing. I also enjoyed a tour of CDG’s fire station where firefighters enthusiastically showed off their fast, efficient Rosenbauer trucks. Before I knew it, we were traveling at 140 kph across the CDG tarmac. I immediately telephoned MIA MDFD Chief Steve Kilby to tell him about my amazing experience. “Don’t worry Emilio”, he said. “MIA is getting four of the Rosenbauers; the first will arrive in August”. Wow, I thought, there’s no place like home. Two of our new trucks have a 1,500 gallon capacity and the other two, 3,000 gallons with a penetrating nozzle that can pierce the skin of an aircraft, dispatching a chemical that maximizes the probability of escape and saving cargo. As an added bonus of my trip, last week I received a call from one of the French firefighters, Cyrille Bourgeois, whom I met in Paris. He and his family were traveling on Air France and were coming to MIA. On July 16, I welcomed Cyrille and his family to our amazing airport.

Greeting CDG firefighter Cyrille Bourgeois

Issue No. 2

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

July 2013

washington, D.C. On June 25, I went to D.C. to represent Mayor Gimenez at the first meeting of the Department of Transportation’s National Freight Advisory Committee. The Committee was established by the White House to improve our national freight transportation system. Part of the President’s agenda is to double U.S. exports by 2015; this mission is critical. While in D.C., I met with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Deputy Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to discuss our need for additional CBP officers. I emphasized the Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood critical shortage of officers here and the impact the federal sequester has had on us. The Acting Deputy Commissioner shared with me that CBP was hit with almost $600M in sequestration cuts. Ask our international passengers or our employees in Terminal Ops what this means to the day-to-day experience here at MIA—they’ll tell you. I asked the Acting Deputy Commissioner if they’d consider us funding the return to service of retired CBP officers. I also met with Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, Representative Joe Garcia and Senator Bill Nelson regarding this possibility. Our delegation assured me they are ready to advocate for bringing back retired CBP officers and any initiatives to relieve our shortage of inspectors. We will continue the fight.

Colorado springs

NORAD / USNORTHCOM Communications Center

In my first newsletter, I mentioned I was invited by General Charles Jacoby to visit Peterson Air Force in Colorado Springs. On July 1, I made that trip. General Jacoby is the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). At the base, I was briefed on Operation Noble Eagle (ONE). ONE is the command responsible for our national defense from airborne attacks and was formed after the terrorist attacks of September 11. I was impressed to watch a military exercise at Peterson and to tour their amazing command center. General Jacoby is coming to MIA on July 30 for a tour of our facilities and to further discuss how Miami International might play a role in their training exercises.

Issue No. 2

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

July 2013

MIA-A Symbol of freedom

Jonathan Spicer & Bienvenito Pinto raise the American flag in honor of Lt. Col. Carlos A. Vecino

Last month, we were contacted by MSgt. Mark Mendez on behalf of retiring U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Carlos A. Vecino. Lt. Col. Vecino is retiring from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, after 20 years of service. It is customary at a military retirement for the retiree to be presented an American flag, and Lt. Col. Vecino very much wanted a flag flown over Miami International on July 4. Why, we asked? MSgt. Mendez sent us the story from Lt. Col. Vecino and after reading it, we proudly flew his flag over MIA. The flag was mailed back to Lackland this week, and on August 29, it will be presented to Lt. Col. Vecino at his retirement. He will be an honorary citizen of MIA and is welcome here anytime. Read his story and never forget what freedom means. Click here to read Lt. Col. Vecino’s letter about freedom

many ways to “see” mia

On July 17, we hosted a tour for 30 summer camp students from the non-profit organization Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The students got a multi-sensory tour of MIA. They also boarded an American Airlines B757 and got to name their dream destination. Last month, we also provided some “on the job training” for 14 puppies being groomed as guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired. The puppies and their volunteer handlers are part of Southeastern Guide Dogs, a not-for-profit organization that provides training for service dogs. The puppies will be featured on an upcoming episode of Airport 24/7: Miami. We’re here to serve, and this month we’ve had some wonderful opportunities to do just that.

Issue No. 2

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

Winners and Losers At a recent County event, Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss read this quote. I like it...

Losers always have an excuse

Enjoy your family We all have tough jobs. I encourage everyone to work hard, and then, relax and enjoy your friends and family. Sometimes, small things make all the difference. Here’s my dog Claymore at his recent 4th birthday party. Yes, Claymore’s birthday… Warm regards,

– Winners always have an idea. Losers fix the blame – Winners fix the situation. Losers make promises –Winners keep commitments. Losers let it happen – Winners make it happen. Losers say, Why don’t they do something? – Winners say, Here’s something I can do.

Anonymous

July 2013

From: VECINO, CARLOS A LtCol USAF AFSPC 24 AF/A2O Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 1:00 PM To: MENDEZ, MARK A MSgt USAF AFSPC 24 AF/A2O Subject: Lt Col Vecino's Retirement Flag Mark, As requested, here's the significance behind the flag. My family (father, mother, older sister, my maternal grandparents, and me) left Cuba when I was two years old. Like other Cuban political refugees, we left Cuba with our birth certificates, the clothes on our backs, and not much else. We left behind close family members and friends thinking we would be reunited quickly once Cuba returned to a democratic rule. My family has been in the United States for 44 years and Cuba remains a distant memory for most of us. For me, it's where I was born and where my paternal grandparents died without ever being reunited with us and us with them. My family arrived in the United States in September of 1969 during the Cuba/U.S. freedom flights. We were processed in Miami and became legal permanent residents of the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. My family's story resembles the story of so many other Cuban immigrants. Our parents and grandparents worked hard, they were thankful to the United States' for its kindness and for welcoming us, and they raised their children to do the same. As I grew older, I felt a strong obligation to repay my nation for everything it gave me and my family. Things like freedom and opportunity that we would have never enjoyed in Cuba. For me, the way I would repay the United States was to serve in the US military. This is what's defined my military career and what's driven me to serve my nation for 20 honorable years. The promotions, awards, medals, and ribbons mean very little to me and that's why I didn't want the traditional shadow box as my retirement gift. While nice, a shadow box wouldn't have much significance to me. My only desire, and I realize this is unusual, is to receive a flag flown over Miami International Airport (MIA) and preferably on our nation's Independence Day. My family first set foot on freedom's soil at MIA and our humble journey in this great nation began right there on a warm and welcoming airport tarmac. I couldn't ask for anything more meaningful than that the symbol of my military career be associated with the place where my family's journey began in this great nation of ours. A nation that's given us everything we have. Thank you again for helping me make this a reality. Very respectfully yours, Lt Col Carlos A. Vecino, USAF