Vol. 8 No. 8
August 2002
Paulette Brownlee Attracts American Attention
When A-B Tech Personnel Director Paulette Brownlee wrote a letter of support to American Airlines in th wake of the Sept. 11 attack, she was hoping "something postive would help."
She had no idea her letter would be printed in the airline corporate newsletter, viewed by 100,000 employees and their families and posted on bulletin boards inside hangars as far west as Las Vegas. "Positivity spreads," explains aircraft mechanic Marty Gruber, who works in McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Gruber said he was so moved by Brownlee's letter, he wrote her in return. "After it came out in the Flagship News they put it on the board in the hallway of our maintenance office. Every time I went by it, I read it again. It touched me. I had to write her back."
Brownlee said she wrote the letter after viewing an American Airlines commercial and realizing the company was targeted because of its name. "My thought about writing the letter was the airlines had suffered a lot. American had suffered the most because it was their planes. Their employees and the company suffered because of something that was not their fault."
Gruber's return letter was also printed in his company's newsletter and, for writing such a positive response, he received a "Letter of Accommodation Award" as well as 10,000 achiever points, given to exemplary employees for dedicated service to purchase inner-company items. "I didn't expect that" Gruber said. In his letter, Gruber explained the dark conditions his crew had to work under on Sept. 11 and the days to follow. "A lot of our people, even (those faced with the loss of family and friends, continued to work under some very difficult conditions. I, for one, was working long hours under armed guard trying to ready a number of aircraft for their eventual departure." Gruber said the airlines focus was then and always has been safety. "We are not under any pressure to dispatch unsafe aircraft. American Airlines has the best aircraft maintenance program that I have ever worked under." Gruber, who has been an aircraft mechanic for 47 years and worked for American for 25, also thanked Brownlee for her supportive letter, adding,"Your letter has touched us all." Return to top
Paulette's letter
As I sat last night and watched your commercial, it dawned on me for the first time, that the terrorists probably selected your airline for the attack on 9/11/01 because of your name, American."
I know your company has suffered along with the rest of the nation through the tragic events of the day, as well as in subsequent days and months. I think sometimes that people forget that you had co-workers and friends on that plane, too. They forget that it was through no fault of your own that this terrible thing happened on your airline.
I am not presuming that my letter today will be profound in any way. But in case you have been experiencing more "negatives" than "positives" these days, I just wanted to tell you of my wonderful experience with your airline, and to say "thank you" for that experience.
I flew for the first time, when I was almost 40 years old. My trip was from North Carolina to Las Vegas, Nevada. (My husband won the trip in a golf tournament.) I was naturally quite nervous, having never flown before. As a matter of fact, as we neared the airport, I started asking myself why I hadn't picked a much shorter flight for my first trip.
From the time we arrived at the ticket counter, to the time we landed in Las Vegas, many hours later, our trip was fantastic! Everyone we encountered acted in a very pleasant, professional manner. I watched carefully as employees carried out the duties and responsibilities of their jobs with a certain confidence and knowledge that helped put me at ease. Everyone was friendly and accommodating. I must have asked the flight attendants a million questions about the safety of the plane and the credentials of the pilots. They realized it was my first flight, and they answered me with great patience and understanding. They even stopped by periodically to check on me. When we arrived in Dallas, they made sure we knew what to do and where to go, so making our connecting flight went very smoothly. I was even pleasantly surprised at the demeanor of the pilots, who talked to us during the flight, and gave as a friendly "good-bye" as we were leaving.
The best thing about the trip was that I felt I was important as a customer- that my well-being was important to the airline, and to the employees with whom I came in contact.
I imagine that the things that I experienced on my trip were common, everyday occurrences that are considered "routine" by your airline. But to me, the quality of care and customer service that I received was very personal. So, regardless of the events of 9/11/01, you are still in my mind, the #1 airline in the country.
I am so sorry that your company has suffered such tremendous financial and emotional distress in recent months, but I have faith and hope that you will be able to fully rebound from this tragedy.
We, as human beings are quite resilient, and you have exceptional employees who have and will continue to make your airline the best in the industry! I think you realize that your employees are your greatest assets, and I hope you continue to take care of them the way you take care of your customers.
Sincerely,
Paulette Brownlee
Marty Gruber's letter
I am an employee of American Airlines at Las Vegas, Nevada. Your letter dated March 11, 2002 has finally filtered down to us who work out on the ramp. I am an Aircraft Mechanic and I've been employed by American Airlines for 25 years. I have worked on aircraft for 47 years.
In your letter you said, "I am not presuming that my letter will be profound in any way." This is not quite the case, your letter has touched us all, and I personally want to thank you for taking the time to write.
When 9/11 occurred and the pilots got the call to land at the nearest airport we had a number of unscheduled aircraft land at Las Vegas. We are a small station and not equipped to handle that large amount of passengers and aircraft. A lot of our people even faced with the loss of family and friends continued to work under some very difficult conditions. I for one was working long hours under armed guard trying to ready a number of aircraft for their eventual departure.
You asked about the safety of the aircraft, that's where I come into the picture. Every aircraft is checked and double-checked again. When I do an inspection on an aircraft it is grounded until it proves to me that it is airworthy to fly. We are not under any pressure to dispatch unsafe aircraft. American Airlines has the best aircraft maintenance program that I have ever worked under.
As American Airlines continues to lose seven million dollars a day as a result of the events of 9/11, we continue to struggle to recover. You are correct when you said, "we are quite resilient." But most of all we are Americans, united for the common goal to preserve our way of life, and damn the people who come to our beautiful country and try to take it away from us.
Sincerely,
Marty Gruber
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Walking for wellness
We all know that exercising is beneficial to our health. Exercising can improve "good" cholesterol levels, prevent and reduce high blood pressure, lower your blood sugar, prevent adult-onset diabetes, help you sleep better, improve concentration, and relieve stress. If you are finding it hard to come up with an exercise program that fits your lifestyle, don't give up the idea of exercise just yet. In fact, there is an excellent way to keep active that you may be doing already but don't realize-walking. Yes, that's right, walking! Although it takes a little longer to elevate your heart rate, when done properly, walking has been found to burn nearly the same amount of calories and provide the same cardiovascular workout as running-with less wear and tear on the muscles. Walking can also be done anywhere, anytime-the mall, the grocery store, even at home or the office. You can easily involve family and friends when pounding the pavement. It is a great opportunity to catch up with your friends or spend much-needed time alone with your spouse; it's also a fantastic motivator to keep you on track. So with all these great reasons to start walking, what are you waiting for?
Walkabout is a program provided by Buncombe County's Local Fitness and Nutrition Council. This program encourages you to walk 100 miles in 100 days. Once completed, you are eligible for prizes and your name is printed in the local paper with the other participants. Grand prizes in the past have included an Inn at the Biltmore package and a Hot Springs Resort package. Our own Mary Alice Church-Steurer was the first grand prize winner and Vera Williams, Debby Harmon, and Shelley Yarbrough all won massages the second time around!
I am a member of the local Wellness Council "Healthy Buncombe" and will be ABTCC's Walkabout Coordinator. I encourage you to talk with me for more information and to register for the program. Walkabout begins Monday, Aug. 12 and ends Tuesday, Nov. 19. You may register by phone (x377), e-mail, or campus mail. Thank you in advance for participating in Walkabout. It is an excellent program and I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity. To see a list of the March - June 100 mile walkers, please go to our website www.abtech.edu. - Holly McCurry, Chairperson Health and Physical Education