ADS Data Processing Team field trip to Maribor Airport (LJMB/MBX) - 19/04/22
Working for a software company that concentrates on technological challenges in the aviation industry, with a special focus on modelling airport and handling costs as accurately as possible, isn’t only about numbers and plain descriptions. The whole ADS team has an interest in the aviation industry and a thirst for knowledge.
When our MD, Adrian Parsons, and COO, Petra Susko, with the collaboration of Matthew Manning, AML Global, surprised us with a trip to Maribor Airport, we knew we would not only get an informative training session about airport and handling operations, but also a one of a kind opportunity to walk through “Employees Only” doors and to view an airport from a perspective that passengers are simply not privy to.
The sweet bonus was that for the first time in ADS’s history, employees of the company got to meet each other in person! Up to this point, we’ve only met each other through video calls.
During the visit, the brightest highlight outshining all was our host himself, Boris Špehar, who held our attention striking an expert balance between being informative and entertaining.
The team had been given a tour of restricted areas to gain more understanding on the level of background work an aircraft’s movement requires. Our tour guide’s high-spirited presentation gave our colleagues some memorable moments and a new perspective to dive into in daily tasks. From the history of the airport through security screening up to the snowplough, we heard stories about everything and received answers to all our curious questions. We even had the chance to talk to an experienced airport firefighter, and we learnt about the different types of firetrucks and how an emergency situation is handled step by step.
In short, our Maribor trip converted price lists to 3D.
Looking at photos of a de-icing truck is informative, but does not give justice to the experience of seeing one in real life. Looking up a type of fee will give you the necessary facts, but hearing how it is (or isn’t!) applied straight from an experienced worker makes it all the more real.
One of the most memorable moments was when we visited the hangar and saw an army medical helicopter. According to Boris Špehar, it happens that after coming back from an emergency situation, the helicopter has to be airborne again a few minutes later. Fortunately, as we learned, this aircraft is always kept with a full tank of fuel, and immediately gets topped up without asking right after it arrives. We were so impressed with the stories, both happy and sad, surrounding this helicopter, that we decided to pick this one to take a group photo in front of.
This experience boosted our professional development and domain-specific knowledge, bringing them to whole new levels. When we read de-icing callout, “GPU”, “ASU”, or communication fee (known in some places as the price of “Hello” & “Goodbye”…), we don’t only see descriptions, charging methods or prices, we now have 3D images in our minds, and even lovely memories of our own to go with it.
Last but not least, after many hours spent sitting in the car with colleagues, we realised that we have a lot in common. Getting to know each other was the second key element of this trip. Now, stories we shared with each other come to our minds every time someone sends a message in the company chat.
In conclusion, we are grateful to the management of ADS, our partner company, AML, and Maribor Airport for making this day possible.
We are looking forward to the next adventure!