CHO Airport Blog
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Tuesday, January 10
Now that the American Airlines service from Charlottesville, VA to Chicago, Illinois is in full swing, I felt it was time to get to know our new major connection a little better. The first place to start is with the name. Now that I know why, I couldn’t think of a better name for the Midwest hub than Chicago O’Hare.
Lt. Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare was a navy pilot in the Pacific when he became the first ACE in WWII. His actions on February 20, 1942 are those for comic book heroes. Lt. O'Hare was the only U.S. Navy fighter pilot available in the air when enemy bombers were attacking his aircraft carrier the Lexington. Facing 9 twin-engine bombers alone, O’Hare shot down five of them and damaged a sixth before other U.S. fighters arrived. No enemy bombs made it to the Lexington. The Medal of Honor citation calls it "...one of the most daring, if not the most daring, single action in the history of combat aviation..." O'Hare was killed in 1943 during the battle for the Gilbert Islands in the South Pacific. He had volunteered to lead a night interception mission against enemy aircraft attacking his task group. His plane was shot down and he was lost at sea during the battle. And so in 1949 the Chicago City Council renamed Orchard Field as Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, to honor their hometown hero. His name is listed on the "Wall of the Missing" at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu, Hawaii.
Next time you are at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, check out the Butch O’Hare WWII Fighter Airplane Exhibit located in Terminal 2.
Do you know of any other airport names with cool origins?
References:
www.history.navy.mil
www.airchive.com
Tuesday, October 25
On October 22, 2011 Team CHO Airport joined thousands of challengers looking to earn an orange headband at the sold out Tough Mudder in Wintergreen, VA. Touted as “probably the toughest event on the planet, the 10 mile obstacle course, designed by British Special Forces, tested all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.” With an average completion rate of 78%, the goal is to simply finish. Overcoming obstacles like death march, boa constrictor and electroshock therapy to name a few, makes most mud runs seem like a walk in the park. According to the Tough Mudder site, this race has ten times more participants than any other mud run and half a million participants globally. To date, Tough Mudder has raised over two million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Team CHO Airport consisted of Public Safety Chief Bryan Jones, Public Safety Corporal Travis Ratcliff, Maintenance Tech Jack Cross and Director of Air Service and Marketing Jason Burch. All survived and after a few days of recovery, most will be back training for next year’s event!
Click here to see pics. Check out more Tough Mudder action here.
Tuesday, October 4
On September 28, 2011 Team CHO headed out early to take on a 2011 United Way Day of Caring Project. Arriving at the Greene County Childcare Center armed with all the tools and manpower to tackle the job, the group of volunteers spent the day tearing up an old wore out deck and replacing it with all new lumber. After a day of hard work - the new deck looked really good! The kids now have a great place to ride their trikes! Everyone at the center was very thankful that the CHO team had taken on their project and had such an awesome crew!
See the rest of the photos on our Flickr page here!
Tuesday, September 20
If you are flying to or from CHO today there is a good chance you will be flying in the rain. What you may not notice is that the 6000 foot runway you’re using has grooves.
The purpose of grooving is to help shed water from the runway to eliminate hydroplaning. The grooves also present a rougher surface to aircraft tires, increasing traction. This results in shorter braking distance of aircraft on wet pavement. According to the FAA and from our own observations, grooved surfaces drastically reduce all types of skids on runways during inclement weather such as rain or snow. Next time you fly out of CHO, take a look at the runway. You won’t see anything as groovy on the road.
Stay tuned to learn how CHO handles snow!
Thursday, September 1
Station 9 is owned and operated by the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport Authority and includes a full complement of personnel, equipment and apparatus designed to provide state-of-the-art fire rescue services to the passengers, employees and visitors of the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO). Station 9 activities include mitigation of and response to structural and aircraft fires, as well as response to medical emergencies, fuel spills and other airport related emergencies at and immediately adjacent to the airport.
The firefighters at CHO conduct training monthly and are held to federal guidelines regarding Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting. Like many small commercial airports, CHO’s Station 9 crew has other responsibilities. Currently, the airport maintenance employees and public safety officers are trained as firefighters, first responders and EMT’s.
The rescue equipment used at CHO is designed for emergencies on an airfield and is built for speed, water-carrying capacity, off-road performance and fast agent discharge rates. Unlike traditional fire trucks, airport rescue vehicles are also designed to pump water and move at the same time. Each of CHO’s 3 trucks can shoot foam, water or a dry chemical depending on the type of hazard. The goal is to put out 80 percent of a fire before a member of station 9 ever steps foot on the ground.
Click Here to See Our Station 9: Airport Firefighters Photo Set on Flickr
Sunday, August 28
Seeding fog? No, that doesn't mean planting. CASPER? Not the friendly ghost. Combined, however, a creative response from an airport to a natural phenomenon that limits the airport's ability to serve its customers.
Rogue Valley-Medford International Airport (MFR) is a commercial service airport located in Jackson County, Oregon. With over 630,000 annual passengers, It is served by four commercial airlines while three fixed base operators provide general aviation services. Due to its geographic location, portions of the Rogue Valley experience temperature inversions during the winter which produce signifcant fog and can last for weeks (see wikipedia). Visibility is reduced and as a result aircraft operations at the Airport can be severely impacted. Rather than accept this limitation and its economic impact on the surrounding region, the Airport staff has developed a fog-reducing system known as CASPER, “cable attached system providing effective release”. This system, created in the airport operations shop, disperses dry ice particles over fog, which in turn bind to the fog particles causing them to freeze and dissipate. The seeding is completed using a remote-controlled vehicle pulling a helium balloon and replaces an older system that required using an aircraft to seed the fog. Safety testing has been completed, and the FAA has certified the use of CASPER.
Saving time and fuel, reducing risks and eliminating an impediment to successful aircraft operations. A huge win-win for this Airport and the region it serves. What unique system or process being used in airport operations have you heard about?
Tuesday, August 23
Hurricane Irene is forecasted to move across the Bahamas before arriving on the Florida East Coast and striking the Atlantic Southeast later this week or early this weekend. If you are traveling from CHO in a direction affected by the storm please keep a constant check on your airline’s travel advisory page:
US Airways - with direct service from CHO to Laguardia, NY, Philadelphia, PA and Charlotte, NC
American Airlines - with direct service from CHO to Chicago, IL
Delta Airlines - With direct service from CHO to Atlanta, GA
United Airlines - With service from CHO to Washington - Dulles
If you are travelling from CHO within the next week please stay up to date:
Hurricane Irene
Tuesday, August 16
Governor Bob McDonnell announced yesterday the results of the Virginia Airport System Economic Impact Study which details the contributions of CHO, along with 65 other public-use airports to the Virginia economy. According to the study, in 2010 the commercial service airports of Virginia produced $28.8 billion in economic activity, which supported 259,000 jobs with payroll in excess of $11.1 billion. CHO had a total economic impact of 1,267 jobs for the Commonwealth with a total payroll of $41 million and contributed to $129 million in economic activity.
Follow the link for access to Governor Bob McDonnell's press release: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=880
To read the Virginia Airport System Economic Impact Study, visit http://www.doav.virginia.gov/
Thursday, July 7
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In the weird aviation news category, more than 150 turtles disrupted more than a dozen flights at JFK this week. The turtles were on a trek across the tarmac to find a place to bury their eggs. March of the turtles.
Monday, June 20
This was not a stellar weekend for aviation. First a computer failure at United Airlines resulted in at least 31 flight cancellations (and an ensuing impact). Second, a bomb threat from an individual at an airport ticket counter in Dayton OH resulted in flight delays at Reagan National. Finally, summer storms continued their routine assault on summer travelers.
Did you know that summer storms have a more significant impact on travel than winter storms? Winter storms tend to be more predictable because they can be forecast with greater accuracy. Summer storms tend to be the pop-up variety. Winter storms tend to be, well, winter storms. How often do winter storms include intense lightning? Summer storms create conditions on airports that most of us don't want to be in - water, metal and lightning. Rest assured I am not a disgruntled customer fussing at the flight attendant because boarding was delayed while lightning danced around the aircraft ramp. Summer storms especially wreak havoc over major hubs where a return to normal operation is usually a tedious process. Aircraft must return to a normal patter after being diverted or delayed so the impact may last hours beyond the storm event. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports bad weather is responsible for 60% of all airline delays.
What does this mean to a traveler? Patience certainly keeps blood pressure in check but a few moves may prevent a storm encounter. Buy tickets for early morning travel. Storms tend to be more intense in the afternoon when the temperature has increased. F;lying earlier in the day also builds in more opportunities to make changes before frequencies run out. Build in time for delays - don't schedule the second leg of a flight close to the first leg arrival time. It's a lot more fun to leisurely stroll to the gate with a coffee than run and find it has been delayed or cancelled due to storm. Leave enough travel time to accommodate a delay or cancellation (e.g. if you are flying to a "job interview" of a lifetime, for heaven's sake don't go on the last flight available to make it there on time).
Finally, fly with the right attitude. Going with patience and a positive outlook certainly makes for a better time for you and your planemates.
Wednesday, May 25
American Airlines/American Eagle will commence non-stop flights to Chicago beginning June 9, 2011. They will be bringing with them a heavy dose of rewards programs designed to reward frequent passengers of American Airlines/American Eagle through Charlottesville Albemarle Airport. Please help support this new service by checking out the programs being offered below and on the attached links. You can also help support your local airport by spreading the word about our newest airline and CHO’s newest destination, Chicago. Thanks to everyone that has helped keep CHO a success by flying local!
JOIN THE AADVANTAGE FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM. Check out how you can redeem your miles for flight upgrades, Admirals Club memberships, hotel stays and car rentals.
EARN DOUBLE AADVANTAGE MILES. Learn more about this CHO passenger exclusive for travel between June 9, 2001 and August 31, 2011.
ENROLL IN BUSINESS EXTRAA - GET 500 MILES. Explore this travel incentive program that rewards companies for their loyalty to American Airlines. Earn an additional 500 miles as a CHO passenger if you fly within 90 days of enrollment.
Monday, May 9
As part of the promotion of the airport’s newest airline American Eagle, CHO has taken it’s show on the road. “Getting the word out about our new airline (American Eagle) and the jet service to Chicago O’Hare starting June 9th is exciting and extremely important” states Jason Burch, Director of Air Service & Marketing for CHO.
Jason spent part of his Friday on May 6th live on the air with DJ Luke Church from 97.5 3WV at the Mill Creek Exxon to discuss the benefits of the new service for Central Virginia. “I’m not only having a great time with many of our current and hopefully future CHO passengers, but I’m getting a chance to brag about how even more convenient CHO has become with it’s competitive fares right now. For example, with American, you can get to Chicago for $178 as of this morning”.
Airport staff were also on hand to help promote the “CHO Summer Flyaway for 4” that CHO will provide by way of the new service. You can still register for the “Fly Away” package as well as prizes from additional sponsors, including a kayak from Appomattox River Company by attending one of the remaining stops of the Tour.
For more information about Tour dates and other details click here.
Tuesday, May 3
Spring affords a number of opportunities to be outside enjoying the weather and aviation:
Friday, April 29
CHO just won its 19th Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada for its FY 2010 comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). This award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management (especially for our very small administrative staff).
In keeping with our staff’s vision, the CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. Amazingly, CHO was one of only two airports in Virginia to produce a CAFR and receive the certificate of achievement in FY 2009, and one of only thirty-three airports in the United States to produce a CAFR utilizing the GFOA guidelines.
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