Being ExpressJet

Rick Bartlett (center left with white name tag) with the Horseheads High School Concert Choir for the premiere of his work “City of the Heart” for chorus and piano for which Bartlett won 2nd place.

Have you seen the movie Creek Water, witnessed the prestigious Ithaca College School of Music composer’s competition or attended the Spoleto Festival? If so, you may already be familiar with Process Improvement Coordinator Rick Bartlett’s work.

Rick has been composing music, particularly vocal pieces, since high school. His achievements include placing first and second place consecutively at the Northwest Missouri University composition competition, publishing dozens of works, being featured at a Georgia composer’s convention, developing scores for the Savannah College of Art and Design commercials and much more.

“I’ve had high school choirs in Singapore, Scotland, England and all across Georgia perform my pieces,” Rick said. “Recently, I had the unique pleasure of having my nephew, who attends Cornell, come to my Ithaca performance.”

The Ithaca College School of Music is one of the highest-rated music programs in the world. Its annual composer’s competition draws performances from the top composers in America as well as international attention.

“Music has always been a part of my life. I’ve sung in choirs since 5th grade and I got my degree in music.”

Despite his many musical accolades, Rick considers singing and writing music to be a hobby. He’s been with Atlantic Southeast for 25 years in nearly every position in the Aircraft Spares department. Even now, with a four hour daily commute, he says he loves his job.

“I love being able to resolve problems, to implement processes that will help us do things right the first time.”

Have you ever awed over your fitness instructor’s insane amount of energy during a lesson? Well, Liz Wright is that kind of instructor – and that’s after her full-time day job as the People Resources leave of absence administrator.

“I teach spin classes two days a week at L.A. Fitness and have taught at the Delta Tech Ops gym,” Liz said.

Fitness and bodybuilding are Liz’s passions. Her fitness resume includes winning 2nd place in a lightweight bodybuilding competition, modeling gym attire and an interview on primetime news.

“When I lived in California, I had lots of opportunities in the fitness industry. I used to participate in fitness and bodybuilding competitions and I did a lot of print work modeling athletic wear.”

Since her professional bodybuilding days, she has spent 11 years at Atlantic Southeast, holding several management positions including ramp manager, baggage manager and chief flight attendant. When she’s not working or teaching cycling classes, she is spending time with her daughters and grandsons.

While exercise is more of a hobby now, she dedicates just as much energy as always to the classes she teaches and offers advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“I always tell people to have a good, healthy diet and exercise at least four times a week. Also, drink lots and lots of water and get plenty of rest. Stress leads to weight gain so take some time to relax!”

Meet Nick Pocock. He is an avid runner, generous supporter of organizations that help people with disabilities and an ExpressJet captain based at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Nick grew up in England and moved to the United States nearly a decade ago. He began running road races in college “just for fun.” When a pal introduced him to triathlons, he was hooked.

“In 2005, I completed my first sprint distance triathlon and haven’t looked back since,” he said. “This year, I plan to run half Ironman distance and hopefully the full Ironman distance next year, depending on how this race goes.”

While Nick enjoys running, that’s not the reason he competes.

“I do multiple races throughout the year, but the one that means the most to me is the annual Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis where I race with Team Vincent to support Fraser.”

Fraser is a Minneapolis-based charity that has been serving Minnesota for more than 30 years. It is the largest provider of support services for children and adults with disabilities and Autism. Team Vincent raises nearly $50,000 each year for Fraser through the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. Nick says this year has been tough for funding, but he hopes to raise $750 for the team. You can click here to donate to Team Vincent.

Nick sees running as similar to his career as a pilot – it’s dynamic, ever-changing and fun, even through the tough parts.

“It’s the dynamism of the airline business that keeps it interesting. It’s the same with running – it’s grueling and things get tough, but it’s well worth it in the end.”

Captain Bear Dog loves to fly with Atlantic Southeast!

Who said that air travel is only for humans? You may not realize that every year airlines transport thousands of animals. At Atlantic Southeast, we carry everything from man’s best friend to zoo animals moving to a new home. In fact, some of our crew members have even been met by penguins boarding the plane with their zookeepers!

I’ve worked in our cargo department for 21 years now and have seen what seems like just about every animal imaginable take to the skies. Okay, maybe not every animal, but a whole lot of them. There’s a special joy that comes from making sure a beloved family pet arrives home safely, or that an endangered species is given a new opportunity. We call all of these animals our VIP (Very Important Pets), both four-legged and two-legged pets, since they are all considered very special on their journey with Atlantic Southeast.

Now that the summer heat is here across most of the country, there are a few things I want you to know if you are planning a trip with your pet. Because Atlantic Southeast flies as a Delta Connection and United Express carrier, we follow the guidelines of our major airline partners in our pet policies.

For Delta passengers, there is an embargo on accepting pets as checked baggage during hot weather. This embargo is in effect May 15 through Sept. 15. Small pets are still welcome to travel with you in the cabin during this embargo period (check Delta’s website for pet in cabin info).

Delta Cargo does have a year-round program that transports pets and other animals called Delta Pet First. This program is for warm-blooded animals traveling without their owners. You can find more about this program on the Delta Cargo Pet First website.

For our United passengers, pets are accepted as checked baggage throughout the year, but there are a few breeds that cannot fly during the summer because of their susceptibility to the heat. This embargo is in place June 1 through Sept. 1 of each year, and includes short-nosed dog breeds, or mixed-breed dogs with the short-nosed characteristics of those breeds, as either checked baggage or cargo. Small pets can still travel with you in the cabin (check United’s website for the specifics).

I want you to know that we take a lot of pride in safely transporting your pets, and these guidelines are meant to keep them safe in the summer heat. Pet travel requires extra preparation, and I always recommend that you check the latest airline policies before planning a trip with your pet. Safe travels!

Delta Pet Travel Info

United Pet Travel Info

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to represent Atlantic Southeast and ExpressJet at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) International Learn to Fly Day in Lorrain, Ohio. The event is meant to increase interest in flying and to encourage the aviation community to get others involved in aviation. For Atlantic Southeast and ExpressJet, it gave us a chance to support the local community (we have a crew and maintenance base in Cleveland) and to give future aviators a chance to get an up-close look at one of our Embraer 145 aircraft.

Throughout the day, our aircraft was visited by thousands of attendees of all ages and backgrounds. I had the chance to meet some great people, talk about our airline, and hopefully inspire people to enter the aviation field. Our aircraft was also the only commercial aircraft and the only jet on display, so it was definitely a crowd favorite.

We also had some great help from some of our Cleveland-based people, including EAA Member and Event Chairperson Captain Paul Koziol.