Ambassa-Quiz #5 answer: Tijuana's airport ...

Tijuana's airport, located just across the border from San Diego in Mexico, is officially named General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport. It is named after a past interim president of Mexico, pictured here, who served from 1932-34. He is credited with establishing several financial institutions, restoring public education and implementing laws regarding private charity and monopolies in Mexico. Rodriguez died in La Jolla in 1967. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the Goodwill Ambassablog about how the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is conducting a market demand study to measure interest in Tijuana's airport becoming more accessible to U.S. passengers from San Diego. Check out Ambassa-Quiz #6 in the sidebar to the left, which covers another way to get to Los Angeles or Las Vegas from San Diego County.

A fun little challenge

Hey team! When browsing the Airport's Web site at www.san.org, I usually find lots of useful information to choose from for sharing with my family, friends and community contacts in my role as a Goodwill Ambassador. There is even plenty there to spark the interest of youngsters who may be interested in learning more about aviation and SDIA, thanks the to the Web site's special Just for Kids section.

That's where you'll find, among other fun things, some games to play, like the Airport Match Game.

Here's a challenge for you: Can you beat my low score on the Airport Match Game? See if you can beat me! My best time is 12 seconds (proof is in the picture). If you get a better score, you can let me know what it is by clicking on the 'comments' link below. Good luck!

The power of Ambassa-blogging

The power of blogging -- and specifically the power of Ambassa-blogging -- came into sharp focus with the recent post, below, by Goodwill Ambassablogger Dennise ("TSA has a heart"). Dennise's post showed how Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at San Diego International Airport hung hearts from the ceilings to add some Valentine's cheer to the terminals. Shortly after Dennise's post appeared on the Ambassablog, word about the article spread through TSA ranks at the airport. They liked the post so much they are even going to reproduce it in the TSA employee newsletter. As Dennise pointed out in her post, one doesn't always think of Valentine's cheer when the TSA comes to mind. But Dennise captured a side of the TSA here at San Diego International Airport that deserves to be recognized. Thanks to Dennise for spreading good news about one of the Airport Authority's most important partners, and for using the power of blogging to such good effect.

TSA has a heart

One of the goals of the Goodwill Ambassador Program -- and one of our goals here at the Airport Authority -- is to have fun! So how can we have fun and still get our work done? Better yet, how can we share this fun with our tenants, passengers and others who pass through our airport?

A couple of weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised while working out in the terminals. I happened upon an area in Terminal 1 where I saw on display just what it’s like to have fun in our airport

I was walking back into Terminal 1 from the airside when I experienced the sensation of something falling from the ceiling. As I flinched and raised my hand to protect my head, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee laughed and said not to worry -- it was just their hearts! I stopped and looked up, and -- as you can see in the pictures here -- there were hearts attached to the ceiling to celebrate Valentine's Day!

My first thought was how everyone always groans whenever you mention TSA & airport in the same sentence! As our discussion continued, the TSA agent told me that they received so many compliments from passengers on the holiday decorations last December that they decided to put the hearts up for February. I asked what we had to look forward to ... maybe shamrocks in March?

Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #4 answer: 1942

Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #4 asked,

What year was Lindbergh Field's current single runway (pictured) built?

And the correct answer is: 1942. As explained in the Wikipedia entry for San Diego International Airport:

"World War II brought significant change to the airfield when the U.S. Army Air Corps took it over in 1942 to support the war effort. The infrastructure of the airport was improved to handle the heavy bombers being manufactured in the region during the war. This transformation, including an 8,750-foot (2,670 m) runway, made the airport 'jet-ready' long before jet passenger planes came into widespread service." (The runway has since been extended to 9,401 feet in length.)

This is the first Ambassa-Quiz where more people chose incorrect answers than the correct answer. Here's how the answers panned out:
1946 - 15%
1942 - 30%
1954 - 35%
1941 - 20%

Check the sidebar to the left to test your south-of-the-border knowledge with Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #5!

Flying again ... for the very first time

Yesterday was one of those days that you hope will never end. Sjohnna and I (pictured here) had the rare and exciting opportunity to be on the Virgin America inaugural flight from San Francisco to San Diego! Virgin America is the U.S. domestic carrier that is part of Sir Richard Branson’s conglomerate of companies (think Virgin Megastore, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Mobile, etc).
The day kicked off at the new international terminal at San Francisco International Airport, with gorgeous check-in counters (pictured), a live band, opening remarks from the CEO of Virgin America - David Cush, words from Sir Richard Branson and both of them in a ribbon cutting (pictured).
Aboard the flight as it left San Francisco (see the famous skyline in the picture?), passengers got used to the touch-screen seat back entertainment that included television, music videos, interactive chat with other people on the flight (and a very unique safety message).

Upon arrival in San Diego (see us over Mission Bay in the picture below?), we were greeted with a water cannon salute, the Charger girls and words of welcome from Airport Authority Chairman Alan Bersin and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Virgin America is starting their San Francisco to San Diego service five times daily (out of Gate 25 at SDIA) -- and we couldn’t be happier to have them here at San Diego International Airport.

The flight was a reminder that all those complexities of air travel we learn about in the Goodwill Ambassador sessions don’t have to be a hassle -- part of the fun can be the journey. Evidence is in the photos -- Sjohnna and I felt like we were kids in a candy store ... flying again for the very first time.

Track Virgin America's inaugural flight to San Diego

Want to keep an eye on Virgin America's inaugural flight from San Francisco to San Diego this morning? It's about to take off from SFO! It's easy -- just go to this Flight Tracker link and type the Virgin flight code -- VRD868 -- in the "Flight ID" box.

Coming attraction: Virgin America exclusive

Is Ryan aboard this plane? Well, not yet. But our intrepid Goodwill Ambassablogger Ryan has a real treat in store for Goodwill Ambassablog readers. Check back here by Wednesday or Thursday this week for exclusive photos and insights from Virgin America's launch event in San Francisco and inaugural flight to San Diego, taking place Tuesday, February 12. As San Diego International Airport gets set to welcome its newest airline, Ryan will be at the Virgin launch event in San Francisco, on his own time, with camera in hand. Then he'll board the inaugural Virgin flight from San Francisco to San Diego, where Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson himself will make an appearance. The importance of new air service to the region is a theme covered in the Goodwill Ambassador program. See what that new air service can look like. Check out Ryan's report on all the excitement later this week -- right here at the Goodwill Ambassablog.

So many aviation enthusiasts!

I read in Dennise’s post - (Somewhere under the rainbow) - about how her dad got her to love airplanes. Marla shared in her comment on Dennise's post that her dad sparked an aviation interest in her too.

Well, it’s my turn to recognize my dad (pictured with me here)! He’s a private pilot and lifelong aviation enthusiast. He took me to countless air shows and aviation museums when I was a kid. Some were amazing memories – like when I got to meet the Blue Angels and get a pilot’s autograph. And some were a little more of a stretch – like when he took me to an airplane museum for my birthday one year. Not to mention the interesting times we had up in the air, when he would fly me around in the skies over San Diego ... Have you ever seen a balloon float into the sky, just inches away from your window in a small plane? It’s very alarming!

I was so proud to tell my dad when I got a job at San Diego International Airport. I think he must chuckle at me sometimes, as he sees how my aviation interest has grown since working here. I practice my Goodwill Ambassador knowledge and trivia on him all the time. And he’s certainly a loyal reader of this blog (Hi Dad!).

One of my fondest memories in the last few years was taking my dad to the Miramar Air Show in 2004. We took these pictures of the Blue Angels (my favorite!) while we were there.

So I’m curious to know how many more of my fellow employees have aviation ties or stories? I know we have at least a few employees with pilot’s licenses. What are the stories out there? Let me know, or share something by posting a comment right here!

New look for the Ambassablog

If you're a return visitor to the Goodwill Ambassablog, you've notice that it's gotten a major face-lift! We've added a second sidebar to the left and a new color scheme. The second sidebar allows more information to be placed at the top of the blog, where the newest posts also reside ... and where you're more likely to see it. Also just added this week: Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #4. It's the most challenging one yet, so give it a try ... now located in the new, left-hand sidebar.

South by Southwest

Ding! Southwest Airlines unveiled a new boarding procedure system-wide last November. As discussed in the Goodwill Ambassador Program, Southwest is our largest carrier at SDIA, accounting for about a third of all passenger traffic and flights with over 100 daily departures to 17 destinations (according to their Winter 2008 schedule -- thanks Hampton).

One sign of the change are new boarding columns (shown here) you can see at the Southwest gates in Terminal 1 East (gates 1-10).

Although the boarding procedure still utilizes Southwest's old A, B and C boarding group system, you are now assigned a number as well as a letter (your number is based on the order you checked in). The new system allows for more people to remain seated while the A group boards. The rules have also been changed slightly for passengers with small children.

Enjoy the photo of the new columns, along with one of me checking out the system (thanks to Marla and Elsie). Southwest Airlines has even put up a cool guide to their new boarding system on the Web.

Answer to Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #3: ALUCP

Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #3 has come to a close. It asked, "What is the acronym for the name of the document that defines appropriate land uses around an airport?" The correct answer is...ALUCP, which stands for Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. You can read more about ALUCPs and the role they play in the state-mandated responsibilities of the Airport Authority here. Congratulations to the 57% of respondents who gave the correct answer. Another 3% chose EIR, while 1% each answered ALUC, FAA and NTSB. Stay tuned for Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz # 4 next week!