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CONNECTIONS
20
JULY 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
GETTINGTEAMUSA
to theLondon2012Olym-
picGameswith the baggage the athletes need
to compete successfully takes coordination
across the system by hundreds of United
employees who have laid groundwork for
smooth operations for months.
The keys are careful planning and focus.
And technology helps, too. The Baggage
Alert and Reporting Tool known as BART
enables employees to track every bag in real
time throughwireless scanning. For the 2010
Winter Olympic Games, for instance, United
employees ensured that on the same day
that participants arrived in Vancouver, so
did all 839 of their bags. BARTwas a big help.
In London, in addition to seeing that
operations flow smoothly during this high-
volume period, co-workers ge ing ready for
this year’s events have made plans to deal
with some of the more out-of-the-ordinary
scenarios they face while flying Team USA.
Ramp Services Manager Richard Miller
gives one example, related toflyingwithPara-
lympians. “We’ve never faced the possibility
of so many customers who use wheelchairs
onboard one flight,” he explains. “Mostwheel-
chair athletes have one chair for day-to-day
life, and then they have a competition chair.”
Team United is looking forward to the chal-
lenge of transporting all of them.
From helping to distinguish the pieces
of equipment the athletes will need at the
airport from those that can be transported
straight to the Olympic Village, to developing
special procedures for processing equip-
ment used in competition shooting, London
co-workers have spent months working
out details to ensure smooth travel during
the five weeks of the London Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
ASKTHEPILOT
With Captain Mike Bowers
Q: What causes the
vibrations occasionally
felt onboard just after
liftoff, as the aircraft
begins to climb?
A:
A few things. First,
as the aircraft becomes
airborne, the landing
gear struts extend
slightly as the weight of
the aircraft shifts from
the wheels to the wings.
Then, the pilots open
the landing-gear doors
to raise the gear into
the belly of the aircraft.
Finally, the flaps and
slats on the front and
back of the wings
are slowly retracted
as the aircraft gains
speed. Any of these
movements can cause
noticeable vibrations.
Of course, flyers need
not be concerned, as
they are experiencing
normal movements as
the aircraft transitions
from being on the
ground to accelerating
to cruise speed.
Do you have a question for
Captain Bowers? Write him
at askthepilot@united.com.
WorkingUnder
theWing