GFK Airport Newsletter
Read about the happenings at GFK, get aquatinted with airport employees and businesses, and learn about airport history. Enjoy photos, videos, and compete for prizes in our trivia contest.
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Current Newsletter OCTOBER 2011
In this issue:
Try the New Airport Restaurant
Allegiant Announced Orlando Service from GFK
New Airport Business Spotlight - Valley Med Flight
Employee Spotlights - Mike Peterson, Jake Wettschreck, Bethany Sundvor
Other Airport News - UND new hangar, ATCT news, new rental car wash facility, and more!
Now Open for
Business – the Byron L. Dorgan Terminal – Our Community’s New “Front Door”
What better way to end the summer than to move into a
new facility! The Byron L. Dorgan
Terminal received its first arrival on the evening of August 29th and its first departure on August 30th, 2011. To passengers, everything went as
smoothly as could be, and almost surprisingly, it went fairly smooth for
the airport
The new airline terminal has been called the new “front
door” to the community because passengers visiting for the first time are
often arriving via the Grand Forks International Airport. First impressions can
be vital to business relationships and the Byron L. Dorgan Terminal is likely just that for business men and women, but for all visitors.
The Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority offices are now located in the new terminal
on the south end of the second floor. The close proximity has made it more convenient for airport employees
and passengers to bring their questions and concerns to airport
administrators. They were previously
located in a separate building next to the old terminal.
The Byron L. Dorgan Terminal building was officially
dedicated on August 10th with Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (Ret.) attending along with Sens. Kent
Conrad and John Hoeven, Rep. Rick Berg, Gov. Jack Dalrymple, Mayor Michael
Brown and numerous other community leaders. The evening started out with tours, a flag ceremony and the ribbon
cutting with speeches from Senator Hoeven, Governor Dalrymple and Mayor
Brown. A social hour in the main lobby was next, followed by a catered dinner
in the passenger waiting area. 280
guests heard three more speakers at the dinner program: Representative Berg,
Senator Conrad and Senator Dorgan. Click the links in the left column to
view photos of the event and a video of the program speakers.
Our public open house on August 11th featured
tours through the new terminal building, an aircraft display outdoors, and
prizes such as airplane rides from GFK Flight Support and free airline
tickets from Delta Air Lines and Allegiant. The event was attended by over
5,000 people, many expressing their excitement about having this beautiful
facility as the new “front door” to our community.
Try Our New
Restaurant
The new terminal’s restaurant, Red River Valley Grill
and Market, is considered by some the most exciting addition to our new
facility. Besides serving up their tasty menu items for both the secured
(airside) and non-secured (landside) areas, they offer numerous snacks,
books, magazines, sundries, travel related items, gifts and souvenirs of
Grand Forks and North Dakota. In
addition, there is a full bar and a television on the airside and beer and
wine offered on the landside. Red River Valley Grill and Market is also
proudly offering a full menu of coffee beverages from Seattle’s Best, a
company owned by Starbucks. See the
left column for a link to their menus.
The airside of the restaurant opens one half hour before the first scheduled departure and closes at the “final boarding call” of the last scheduled departure. The landside is open from 9:00 a.m. until the last scheduled departing flight.
Stop out for coffee, breakfast or lunch, you’ll be glad you did – the food is delicious and the atmosphere is terrific. If you’re wondering about parking, there is ample space in our short term lot, directly across from the terminal. Some people from the community are stopping out here just to eat – the first 30 minutes they park are free and the fee thereafter is $1 per half hour. Badged GFK airport employees are regular customers who are able to enjoy free parking.
Allegiant
Announces Orlando Service from GFK
Amidst all the excitement surrounding the new
terminal, the Airport Authority received the long awaited news that Allegiant will begin nonstop service to Orlando! On August 18th, Allegiant’s sales director John Fenyes was here to make the special announcement. Allegiant is confident the passengers
on the new route “will appreciate the value of flying nonstop to Orlando
and the great deals they offer on hotels, car rentals and theme park
tickets.” GFK’s Executive Director Patrick Dame said, “Orlando has
been our most requested city from customers within our region, and from our
friends in Winnipeg.”
Service to Orlando starts on November 17th.
The Airport Authority recently learned that the direct flights to Orlando and Las Vegas have been so popular that they added two additional flights to each city starting in mid-December (Orlando) and early February (Las Vegas). Great news, but now the Authority is busy planning a parking expansion already - thanks to everyone who flies out of GFK! See the Allegiant Schedule here.
Valley Med Flight - Airport Business Spotlight
Valley Med Flight, Inc. is a critical care air ambulance provider with aircraft currently based out of GFK Flight Support at the Grand Forks International Airport. Benjamin Dorman, the company's President and CEO, is pictured above (on right) with Assistant Chief Pilot Andy Munion. During his years as an emergency care nurse at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, Dorman became aware of the need for an air ambulance service in this area, and after a year of researching and planning, the new company started up in February of this year. Averaging 26 calls per month, Dorman says that number is twice what he had projected in the company's business plan. Currently employing 10, the staff will soon double in size when a second base opens at the Williston, ND airport next month. Dorman says his dream is to continue to expand to wherever there is a need for this type of service.
A Passion For Saving Lives
Ben Dorman talks about some of Valley Med Flight's medical service capabilities. |
Valley Med Flight is independent from any medical facility and is able to transport patients to any hospital in the United States. Often they are dispatched to rural airports near accidents or other medical emergencies, where they gladly provide services without regard to whether or not the patient has insurance - they don't ask. Everyone at Valley Med Flight is extremely passionate about their work and saving lives is their primary goal. Their mission is to safely transport patients with the utmost care and respect to a facility equipped to handle their medical needs. When they receive a call, they are in the air within 30 minutes and do not wait until a receiving hospital is located before taking off, as many of their competitors do. This alone helps saves lives as it shortens the wait time considerably.
The Company Fleet
Valley Med Flight's air ambulance fleet consists of two Cessna 414As and a Pilatus PC-12, all medically equipped to the extent that they compare to a hospital intensive care unit. Munion says he loves the investment the company puts into their aircraft such as known icing protection and, later this year one of the Cessnas will receive a new automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system. Munion really enjoys working for Valley Med Flight and says the hours are great. His salaried position requires him to be on call as secondary pilot for one week, primary pilot for one week, and he has every third week off. A secondary pilot is needed due to FAA rest requirements. A medical flight service is categorized as the most dangerous charter operation there is, and all three of Valley Med Flight's pilots have achieved the highest FAA pilot rating possible by obtaining a Commercial Air Transport Pilot's (ATP) license.
The Airport Authority appreciates the service Valley Med Flight provides and is proud to have them based at the Grand Forks International Airport. Visit their website www.valleymedflight.com for further information.
Employee Spotlights
Operations Specialist Spotlight - Michael Peterson
Mike Peterson has been employed with the Airport Authority for 10 years. Like all Ops Specialists, Mike is Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) certified and trained, ready for any type of emergency at the airport. Besides training two afternoons per month to keep their ARFF and EMS certifications, there are a variety of tasks performed by Airport Operations Specialists. Mike says he really enjoys all aspects of his job - he may be tasked with airfield inspections, where they monitor the ramps and runways for loose material or pavement cracks, lighting outages, and other things that might endanger flight operations; fuel quality testing; runway friction testing; security checking for suspicious activity around airport perimeter fences, gates, parking lots and buildings; and snow removal and grass mowing where needed. The Ops Specialists are also utilized to assist Airport Maintenance Specialists when available.
Besides working full time for the Authority, Mike is also a paid on-call firefighter for East Grand Forks. He and his wife Karen are also quite busy with their four children whose ages range from 7 to 14. Mike coaches youth hockey and baseball and he and his family are huge Sioux fans. He's wonderful with children and he takes great pleasure in giving tours of GFK's ARFF station to the groups of youngsters that visit every spring for their class field trips. Mike is a Grand Forks native and he and his family now reside in East Grand Forks.
New Employee Spotlight - Jacob Wettschreck
Jake Wettschreck is the Airport Authority's newest Operations Specialist. Jake's first day was August 9th, the week of the new terminal Ribbon Cutting and Building Dedication event and the Public Open House - a very exciting and busy time for the airport. Born and raised on a farm near Bemidji, Minnesota, Jake grew up loving the outdoors and all that northern Minnesota has to offer as far as outdoor sports - hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, etc. He also has interests in carpentry, welding, and woodworking design.
Bemidji's Fire Department employed Jake as a resident firefighter for 3 1/2 years before he was hired at GFK. He said he living in a small room at a firehouse for that length of time has its drawbacks, but he had some of the best meals of his life there. So far he has thoroughly enjoyed his job in Grand Forks and loves the new challenges he's faced with every day.
Jake earned his ARFF Certificate while working at Bemidji and his Firefighting - EMT Certificate at Northland Community and Technical College. He plans to finish earning his Associates Degree in Northland's Fire Science Program when time permits.
2011 Airport Intern - Bethany Sundvor
Bethany Sunvdor was chosen as the Airport Authority's 2011 intern and began her one year internship in January. She shared her experiences in the paragraphs that follow:
I am originally from Park River, ND and currently attend the University of North Dakota. I will graduate in December with a B.B.A. in Airport Management. I feel very fortunate to be the first full-time, year-round intern and to have had the opportunity to experience such an exciting year at GFK.
It was the middle of snow season when I started at the airport and the operations crew wasted no time training me how to do snow removal. I knew coming into my internship that snow removal was part of the job description, but never imagined that on my first day of work I would learn how to drive a pay loader! My first thoughts were that they were crazy allowing ME to operate heavy machinery. However, I kept an open mind and found myself pretty comfortable cruising around the airport in large vehicles in no time. I learned a great deal about snow operations at an airport while working in ops my first few months here and look forward to the new challenges this year’s snow season will bring.
As spring rolled around and the need for snow removal slowed, I moved over to airport administration to begin projects there. Highlights included helping coordinate and recruit volunteers for our triennial full-scale emergency exercise, assisting with early planning for our new terminal grand opening events, and organizing a booth for the airport at this year’s ArtWise kids art show. Spending time with kids for the week was a blast, but I must admit that after folding over 1,000 paper airplanes, it wouldn't bother me one bit if I never made one again! I was also given the chance to attend conferences in Minot, ND and Atlanta, GA. Both trips were extremely beneficial for learning new ways to improve our airport as well as future advancement of my career.
During the summer I learned how to operate equipment for mowing and also spent several weeks working night shifts in operations. Perhaps the most exciting part of my internship thus far was at the end of the summer when it was finally time for our building dedication dinner and public open house grand opening events. Being part of the opening of the Byron L. Dorgan Terminal is an experience I am very lucky to have and will never forget. Once the grand opening was behind us, Business After Hours with the Grand Forks Chamber was the next thing on our plate. Coleen had gotten her share of party planning during the grand opening, so I took the reins for coordinating this event.
I very much appreciate the knowledge and experience I am gaining as an intern at the airport. My hopes are to carry what I’ve learned here into the future and eventually become a successful airport manager.
The Airport Authority has enjoyed the opportunity to have Bethany as an intern for this very busy and exciting year. Her enthusiasm, hard work ethic and love for learning are some of her best assets, and her future will undoubtedly be bright.
Other Airport News
UND Aerospace
Construction of the new hangar for the UND Aerospace helicopter flight training operation is well underway, with an estimated completion in early December, 2011. Located to the east of the FAA building, the hangar is 170’ X 90’, with an additional 35’ X 90’ of two level office space for the helicopter program instructors and staff. When completed this construction project will again permit us to hangar all of the UND fleet aircraft, and alleviate a lack of office space and briefing rooms for the instructors and students. The building is a prestressed concrete design, matching the existing UND Aerospace facilities. The hangar will be heated with hot water in the floor, and will be able to accommodate approximately 20 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. The office area will include student briefing rooms, a dispatch area, conference room, and office space for 20 instructors.
Air Traffic Control Tower
News from Dave Cink, Manager
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Since the last newsletter, we have welcomed the following employees; Ryan Olson, Ben Andersen, Nathan Meyer, and Matt Litzinger. Tim Johnson has returned from his detail to Washington headquarters.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following employees and spouses on their new additions to their families; Brandon Wevers, Tracy Willard, George Reisdorf, and Ben Andersen.
NEW CERTIFICATIONS include full facility certifications to Jessie Roberts, Cody Hammer, Macey Ang, and Ryan Olson; ground certifications to Ben Andersen and Tim Johnson; Flight Data certifications to Nathan Meyer and Matt Litzinger.
Traffic Operations at GFK have continued at the steady pace of the last several years. We should finish near the record year of 2009, approximately 347,000 operations. This will again place GFK in the top 25(probably 23rd) of all towers in the US.
This past June, we welcomed the Great Lakes Region Runway Safety Action Team. They interviewed airport users and held drivers meetings, pilot seminars, safety meetings and held a final action/out brief meeting. Thanks to all the users that took time out of their busy schedules to talk with the team about airport operations and safety.
Our base building received a new roof replacing the original roof from 1987. Unfortunately, the contractor picked the only two days we have had rain in the last couple of months to do the work. Several offices had water damage the next morning. Roof is now dry and complete and office renovations are in progress.
Thank You
The tower staff would like to thank airport operations for their cooperation during the summer when they were mowing, completing painting projects and runway surveys. All were completed safely with minimum disruption to the other users.
We would also like to thank our silent partner, the local FAA TechOps. They are the employees behind the scenes that ensure our equipment is working as well as VOR, ILS and other NAVAIDS in nearby airports. They provide repairs and assistance 24/7 no matter what the weather. Thank you for your support.
Lastly, having been the Air Traffic Manager in GFK for the last 15 years, I want to thank and recognize the outstanding employees that work in the tower. From the top to the bottom, this is the best group of controllers and individuals I have been associated with in my 29 years in the FAA. They enjoy their work and are exceptional examples of federal employees providing a service to the public. Thank you for the excellent job you do every day.
Car Rental Agency News
The three car rental agencies are building a consolidated car wash facility north of the new terminal, east of GFK Flight Support. Each company will have their own bays for servicing their cars. We will also have an overflow parking lot for clean cars. All three of the agencies involved with this project are very excited and can’t wait to move in. Projected completion date is Dec 31st, 2011.
National/Alamo Car Rental
National/Alamo has a part time position available. This position is mainly days but applicant does need to have evening and weekend availability. Please apply in person at the National/Alamo counter.
AVIS
AVIS is happy to report our move went well. It took a group effort, pizza, pop and late hours but we were able to have our business up and running. We have enjoyed our larger space and the beautiful terminal!
We are also looking forward to the new car wash facility and if all goes as planned, expect to be moved in sometime in December.
AVIS is currently taking applications for a rental sales agent. If you know someone who is interested in being a part of our team, please send them to our airport location to apply in person.
FedEx
Monday, September 26th airport personnel received an email from Brandon Maus, one of the ramp managers at GFK's FedEx station:
Many of you may have already heard but I am making a move out west. I recently accepted the position of Senior Manager for the Spokane, WA and Casper, WY ramps. My official start day will be October 1st.
It is with mixed feelings that I make this move as I have had great experiences working with all of you and will look back with fond memories the working relationships I’ve had with each of you. This new position offers me new opportunities and challenges and I am looking forward to taking them on.
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