Al Blackman and tthe mural of him at the hangar |
"Every day I get up and am thankful for the day," he told me yesterday when I met him at the American Airlines maintenance hangar at JFK airport. A mechanic since he was a freshly-minted, 16-year-old graduate of Aviation High School in Manhattan, he has never grown tired of turning a wrench, though these days he's supervising other mechanics as a crew chief in Hangar 10.
Sure planes have changed. Keep in mind, Al's hands have touched flying boats and Boeing 747s. Al has changed as well. He uses a computer now - and no longer drives on the ramp. These are the necessary evolutions. Underneath, there is a constancy, a loyalty that is attention-grabbing by its infrequency.
When I asked him when he thought he'd want to quit working, Al shrugged as if the thought hadn't occurred to him before, though I know it must have. "Since I enjoy working, this never is a chore," was his only reply.
Pete Trapani works with Blackman |
I'd been invited to meet Al at the hanger and join him on a flight on the vintage DC-3 Flagship Detroit, a plane owned and maintained by the foundation of the same name. The flight would be a gift from American Airlines to its longest-serving employee. Truth be told, it was the flight that drew me to the story because this would be a very rare opportunity to fly in a plane that carried American Airlines passengers from 1936 to 1947 and is truly a piece of living, flying aviation history.
The plane was rescued from crop-dusting duty in 2004 by a few American Airlines pilots including Zane Lemon. Together they restored the plane to near-original condition with the exception of more advanced flight avionics and more fire-resistant seat fabrics. The airplane looks like it did when it was hopscotching around the country at 10,000 feet with a full load of 21 passengers.
Gene Christian and Dave Buffington fly the DC-3 |
Zane Lemon President of Flagship Detroit Foundation |
Follow the travels of Flagship Detroit at the blog As the Cyclones Spin.
This is one of those things that separates good employers from mediocre ones. There is need for constant employee appreciation in whatever way. It may be a cerficate, a handshake etc. This is inspiring
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