READYING FOR TAKEOFF (From left to right) Denise Petrone, Marjorie Arnold, Matt Bastian, George Hobbs, Chandra Dusseault, Andrew Cultrera, Mike Obue and Sal Vicari make up the Flight Operations team in Connecticut.
Team Effort
“Being focused and alert to challenges is a key component to success in our environment,” says Sal Vicari, Scheduling Manager. “Because of this, the more complicated the trip, the less likely you are to make a mistake. Of course, we never let our guard down. A simple one-hour trip receives the same level of attention and detail.” Scheduling teams are responsible for handling the infinite amount of details that go into planning a demo. From weather, landing permits, fueling and refueling, to hotels and transportation, and beyond, Vicari oversees what Lemasson describes as the “behind-the-scenes, forward thinking” component of the operation. W hen Vicari discusses the challenges Scheduling faces he does it with passion. “You never know what the next day is going to bring. The missions are constantly changing. Give me the challenge of getting an aircraft to China within 12 hours, that’s the fun part,” says Vicari with wry, almost mischievous delight. His team buzzes about him below a giant map of the earth, an adornment that in most office environments is a decoration, but here is a necessity. “We had a globe, but you couldn’t see the whole world at once,” he explains. Somewhere on that map is Montreal, and a speck, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport. “We’ve repatriated the jet that started Bombardier Business Aircraft, and brought it back!” says Murray Balzer, proudly, of the Challenger 650 aircraft. The Chief Pilot of Canadian Operations for the Flight Ops team, Balzer is a historian and revels
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Experience
in the story of Bombardier, tracing the company history as one would trace a flight route, with precision and grace. Just as the Challenger returned to Quebec, the Learjet – born in the Midwest – calls Kansas home, and draws on the expansive aeronautical skillset of the region. The challenges of being spread over two countries are often found on the desk of Interim Lift Manager Denise Petrone. After 29 years with Bombardier, her institutional knowledge makes her an invaluable resource. Petrone’s office is at the center of Windsor Locks Flight Ops, making it a meeting point to stop, bring in the Wichita and Montreal teams, and discuss and formulate plans to address issues. Like her colleagues, Petrone is quick to share credit: “It’s a team effort.”
Scheduling teams are responsible for handling the infinite amount of details that go into planning a demo, from weather, landing permits, fueling and refueling, to hotels and transportation.