| In the nonfiction book Catch Me if You Can, Frank Abagnale Jr.
pretends to be a pilot and flies around the world. Thinking about how Frank
managed to fool airports into thinking he was a pilot brings up the
question how does an airport run? While most people visit the airport and
fly on planes numerous times a year, not many know the inner workings
of the airports they visit. “ For many travelers, (the airport) is a
horror.” (Kaplan, James The Airport, front flap) The people who work
at the airports, the security, and the airplanes themselves are the
things most people need to know about when traveling from the airport. When one thinks of people who work at an airport the first people who pop into their minds are the pilots and stewardesses. Pilots have to pass many tests including IQ and physicals to become pilots. They are very intelligent and physically fit. The average pilot “will be politically and socially conservative.” (Moynahan, Brian Airport Confidential, page 89) While the pilot in charge of flying the plane and whether or not it is in control, the stewardesses or flight attendants are in charge of the passengers’ well being. The flight attendants are the people who feed, and care for the passengers. They have “considerable power”(Moynahan, Airport Confidential, page 111) over the passengers on their flight. The pilots and flight attendants are the people who are really in charge of the flight. Before one can even get onto the airplane they have to go through security. While recently airport security has changed drastically, it was practically nonexistent until the 1980s. The machines used to check security such as metal detectors and x-ray machines are quite expensive. The airlines are in charge of all baggage and passenger security. Security at the airport is one of the main complaints. It takes to long and some people get aggravated. “They are sensitive to the slightest suggestion.” (Moynahan, Airport Confidential, page 86) Which means they check every call that comes in and every bomb threat that they get. The airport security strives to prevent terrorist attacks and does what it can keep the millions of people that fly each year safe. Traveling by air is the safest way to travel mechanically and technically. It is the fastest way also and the airplane provides this. When getting on an airplane one does not understand all the work that goes into their simple travel. The airplanes travel all over the world. They are the most important mode of transportation. Most people “know far less about airplanes than they think” (Kaplan, The Airport, page vii) Airplanes are without a doubt the most important part of the airport community. While airports aren’t extremely complex, to understand them fully one needs to work at the airport. “There is more to this flying business than meets the eye” (Moynahan, Airport Confidential, page 11) The employ many people, secure safety to those in flight and transport millions of people around the world in a manner of hours. They support businessmen and families traveling to meetings and get-togethers. Airports have become a way of life. |
