I’ve had several people ask why we named the Airport’s new blog “Observation Deck.” Well, beyond the most obvious reason being that the comments here are my observation on life at an airport, Tri-Cities Regional Airport has one of the few remaining open-air observation decks.

Our observation deck is an extremely popular feature with families waving off loved ones, school children on tours and aviation enthusiasts just wanting to enjoy watching the aircraft come and go. One of the great things about working at a small airport is that we can still offer some of the hometown touches that both locals and visitors appreciate. I’m forever getting comments about how much people love our airport. Yes, occasionally I get complaints, but the majority of comments are about how easy and convenient everything is. Whether it’s parking across the street from the terminal, the welcoming smile of employees who recognize frequent travelers or the luxury of stepping outside on the observation deck to enjoy the sunshine for a few moments, Tri-Cities Regional Airport is a great place to start or end a trip….and that’s my observation.

One of the nice things about my job is that on occassion I get to travel. A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time in Fort Worth, TX at the annual Networks USA conference where airport people from around the country got to meet with planners from nearly 30 airlines. It wasn’t an all-out rodeo, but there was definitely a cowboy theme going on, complete with hats, boots and even a mechanical bull. While there were some excellent sessions on the aviation industry, the real purpose of this conference was matching airlines and airports. During the two days worth of meetings, we got a chance to renew acquaintences and friendships, meet new people and talk to the carriers about our communities. It was clear that we are all working hard to weather this economic storm. There aren’t too many expansion opportunites out there right now, but this was a great  chance to prepare for when the economy starts turning around. And when that time comes, Tri-Cities Regional Airport will be in the saddle. Yee ha!

The trees are budding, the grass is greening, the temperature is 70 degrees one day and 32 the next. It’s spring in East Tennessee and time for “Racin’ as it Oughta Be” at Bristol Motor Speedway! This week, fans from all over will start pouring into Tri-Cities by car, camper and airplane for the Food City 500 NASCAR race.

Twice each year for a week in early spring and late summer, activity at Tri-Cities Regional Airport tripples with private aircraft ferrying in lucky passengers to enjoy the thrill of NASCAR racing at Bristol’s legendary half-mile track.

The extra traffic means long hours for operations staff, air traffic controllers and Tri-City Aviation (the FBO),  but it’s exciting, too. You never know which plane will be carrying a movie star or sports icon, and it’s always a  thrill when the fighter jets come screaming in to prepare for their traditional fly-over.

At TRI, we’re happy to welcome all those wonderful, interesting race fans who come to enjoy their sport. We’re very appreciative of them and their contribution to the Tri-Cities’ economic engine.

If you’ve made your way to TRI’s new blog, then you are aware that TRI has joined the world of social media. Not only are we blogging about what is going on with air transportation, we are Flickring, Twittering and Facebooking, too. We hope you’ll follow along as I, and the occassional guest blogger (hi Wendy), navigate the sometimes bumpy, sometimes smooth, but never boring experience of life at a small airport.