Through the munificent generosity of a kind-hearted gentleman who reads this Internet weblog, Telstar Logistics was invited to attend a United Airlines employee appreciation day that was held last weekend at the company's Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at San Francisco International Airport.
It was quite a bash — especially given that when Telstar Logistics holds employee appreciation events, the staff must make do with some microwave popcorn, a bag of pork rinds, and a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Yet when United Airlines sets out to do the same, they do so in a very big way — United cordoned off a concrete ramp that sits between several of the company's aircraft repair hangars and proceeded to turn the area into a technofetishist fantasyland.
The Blue Angels were parked on the ramp — it was Fleet Week, and the Angels had based their F-18s at the United MRO facility throughout their stay:
There was a World War II P-51 Mustang on display, along with a bubble-nosed helicopter and several small aircraft. In one hangar, a buck-naked Boeing 777 turbofan engine sat alongside a smaller one that had been pulled from a 757:
There was a Boeing 747 on hand for all to explore — inside and out (This latter provided an interesting contrast with the Airbus A380 we'd toured just a few days before.):
In another hangar, a Boeing 767 and an Airbus A-319 were shown mid-overhaul:
A delicious selection of classic cars and hotrods were parked on the ramp, including a gorgeously restored United Airlines service truck from 1931:
A group of United employees played surf music on the back of a flatbed truck, and the smell of barbecued meats wafted gently through the air. It was all good and right and wholesome and entertaining.
Yet one attraction stood head-and-shoulders above the rest: The 737 Pull. This is a United Airlines tradition at SFO, and it's a charming combination of county fair-style rinky-dink and extreme high tech folly. The event itself is simple: A United Airlines 737 airliner is parked on the ramp with a thick rope attached to the nosewheel:
Teams of 20 United employees then take turn trying to pull the 155,000 lb. (70,454 kg) aircraft a distance of 20 feet (6.1 m):
Each team is timed to see how long it takes to accomplish the feat after the drop of a flag, and the best time wins.
See what we mean? Very simple. Kind of absurd. Yet also kind of charming.
We watched several heats of the 737 pull, and it was good clean fun — vastly superior to all the trust-falls, ropes courses, and confessional bonding exercises we've endured at various client offsites over the years. So remember this handy management tip: Next time you need to foster team unity, get yourself a big rope and a Boeing 737. Then start pulling.
Our thanks go out to United Airlines and our gracious host. Lots more photos are available via the link below.
LINK:
United Airlines: SFO Employee Appreciation Day 2007 (Flickr photoset by Telstar Logistics)
PREVIOUSLY:
Telstar Logistics Gets Intimate with an Airbus A380
Telstar Logistics Boosts Employee Morale Aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien
After and Before: How to Paint a Virgin America A320
A New Design for Delta Airlines
(All photos above by Telstar Logistics)
Southwest Airlines (the company I work for) just recently had a similar event: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2007/10/12/pigskin-plane-pull/
Of course, since it was football themed, they pulled the plane 50 yards instead. I wonder what the minimum number of people you need to actually pull the plane? As you said above, UA had teams with 20 people on it. I think at the Southwest event they only had like 12 people per team. Pretty insane, when you think about it...moving a huge heavy plane like that with only people?
Posted by: Shnakepup | 12 October 2007 at 04:01 PM