Millions of people have worked in the airline industry and you may know someone who works for an airline or who has retired from the industry. But how often do we come across their personal Websites and see their experiences through their memories? A lot of pilots do publish blogs and we thought about writing about them. And then it occurred to us there must be other airline industry employees (past and present) who also blogs. An airline is not all about the pilots. To that end we set out to find 6 interesting Websites that share something special about former airline employees.
Google made the search very difficult. The search giant seems to have forgotten there is a Web out there beyond all the news sites. They make it almost impossible to find personal blogs. But we found a lot of airline employees and from random mentions compiled a list of personal Websites we thought were interesting. Narrowing the list down to just a few was not easy. We appreciate the effort others put into creating great Websites. But we have day jobs and could not spend all week on this. We will probably feature more blogs in a later article.
But enough about Google and our limited time. What we found is that airline employees naturally love to travel. That is no surprise. In fact, they are such a varied group of people nothing surprises us about them. We know they love to write, take pictures, and give others glimpses into their lives. What makes the people on this list special is … well, we’ll let you decide for yourselves.
Rand Peck, Aviation Photographer
No simple little screen capture can do justice to the blog we found. Rand Peck used to write another blog that he had finished. It was that blog we discovered, and Rand left a message to curious visitors saying he had moved on to other blogging experiences. He linked to Rand Peck Aviation Photography and we thought we would check out his work. Wow. What incredible images. It’s not all Rand’s own work as he shares pictures other people send him. The front page of his site featured a very moving picture of the reception for the remains of Lance Corporal Skip Wells, one of the US Marines who was murdered in a terrorist attack in Chattanooga, TN in July 2015.
Rand’s interest in photography is evident in the masthead for his first blog, One Airline Career, which is a spectacular image of a Northwest Airlines jet splashing along a runway. His poignant reminiscence of what it was like to fly a DC-9 exudes some of the pride and spirit that professional pilots develop through decades of safely ferrying passengers across the world. Airline travel is still considered to be the safest way to travel when compared to other modes of transportation. We cannot do justice to the love and respect that Rand feels for the planes he flew and the people he worked with through all those years. We wish him a long and happy retirement and maybe one day he’ll share pictures of himself with his great-grandchildren.
Sandra K. Marshall, Romance Writer
Although we cannot say we have read any of her books, we were impressed with her knowledge of writing. Like Rand Peck, Sandra also has two Websites, a personal blog and her signature Sky Marshall website about the books she has published. After spending 36 years in the airline industry Sandra retired to work on her writing. After 9 years her first book was published and though the publisher soon went out of business she went to publish more books with Eirelander Publishing.
That is dedication to the cause. While it might seem easy to write a book finding a publisher who will take you on is not so easy. Many would-be published authors either give up or turn to self-publishing because the competition for those highly coveted author slots is intense. Not to play it up too dramatically, but we thought that the idea of a second career as a worlds-spanning author was a great choice for someone who had spent so many years in an industry helping others travel the world. Keep the imagination flying, Sandra!
Eric at Airline Travel Tip
We know Eric’s last name but he seems to have removed it from the Web and we will respect his wishes for privacy. Eric still works in the airline industry and he has created an amazing Website packed with tips for people who want to improve their flying experience. Although airlines and airports go to great lengths to make traveling by air easy (and it has become much easier since the Wright Brothers first flew in 1911!) the trip can be stressful and tiring. When people like Eric share advice about what to do when something goes amiss, travelers feel comforted, like they just found a friend in a world full of strangers.
Whether you are traveling between continents or just to a city in a nearby state, you want to know that your luggage will be handled properly and that you will arrive safely. But airline employees handle countless situations where things go awry with quiet professionalism. And though we can all point to wear traveler tales filled with angst and frustration at the imperfections of life’s travel plans, it’s great to find a site like Eric’s where someone inside the industry goes above and beyond the call of duty to help make air travel just a little less frustrating for everyone. Thank you, Eric!
Check out Airline Travel Tip when you are ready to reach for the skies!
Nicholas Bredimus, Retired
Nicholas Bredimus led a storied career as an executive at American Airlines and later as the founder of an important software ticketing company that helped to make travelers’ lives easier. What brought Nick to our attention was the wonderful reverie in his “Food for Thought” article, where he shares old family pictures and writes about times gone by. His biography mentions that he three careers: airline travel, software development, and home design. That’s a really diverse resume.
But the Bredimus biography page is the centerpiece of this Website. You would expect a long list of dreary details about various positions held at companies throughout his career. Instead Nicholas treats you to the story of one Francois Bredimus, founder of the Bredimus family in America. What a loving tribute to a forefather! In fact, you learn a little bit about European history, too.
Bredimus’ achievements in the travel and hospitality industries were built on his keen insights into how to make travelers’ services easier and more productive through the use of computers. Bredimus is recognized as a pioneer in travel industry software services. Check out out Nicholas Bredimus’ Website now.
Jeanene Wilson, The Travelpreneur
Jeanene loves travel. That much is obvious from the name of her Website. She spent 17 years working in the airline industry and now works in the hotel industry. Her blog is a gallery of memories and experiences enhanced by beautiful photography. She shares memories, life tips, a bucket list, and thoughtful commentary based on her travels.
Some of the pictures are quite stunning, such as the aerial photo of Mead’s Bay in the Caribbean island of Anguilla. The pictures of exotic flowers could be used as computer wallpapers or might even serve as very nice photos to decorate the walls of your home. If Jeanene has not found a career in selling her photos to stock image and poster companies she should give the idea some thought. She might just find a new passion in life.
Prepare yourself to explore a world filled with wonder when you visit The Travelpreneur. Keep an eye out for the butterfly in the photo gallery!
Paul Hurd, Travel Photographer
A 1970 graduate of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Paul spent 8 years in the Navy flying planes and acting his squadron’s Public Affairs Officer, a secondary responsibility that led to his realizing he was pretty good at photojournalism. He took a job with Braniff International in the late 1970s only to see that airline fail during the massive recession sparked by the 1970s energy crisis. During the six months he was not flying Paul did freelance photography for travel magazines and he landed a role as a Contributing Editor at a physician’s travel magazine.
Although he went on to fly for Northwest Airlines for 26 years, Paul maintained his interest in photography and journalism on the side. He also sold pictures to stock photography agencies and his work has been featured on many projects including the cover of the AAA Road Atlas. Now retired, widowed, and remarried, Paul has returned to his love of photography. We wish him much success and continued happiness. Be sure to visit Paul Hurd’s Photo site.