To begin, let me say that I am not a writer nor properly trained in written correspondence, so I’ll just go with this and see what happens.
While enrolled at Braniff Education Systems, Inc. (BESI) here at Love Field, I worked nights as a mechanic at a then-small business called Jet Fleet. I was attending school for my Airframe & Power plants License. We were laid off on April Fool’s Day, and we truly thought it was a joke. The next day at school a fellow student, and SWA Employee, asked me if I would be willing to clean aircraft. Of course, I said I would.
After a ten-minute interview (no physical or background check was required), I agreed to start work on April 6, 1976. In those days, aircraft cleaners were asked to do a lot of other chores and company errands.
Five cleaners were usually assigned to one aircraft per night, two on the interior and three on the exterior. Two or three aircraft would overnight in DAL. I recall washing the aircraft with soft floor-type brooms. Our soap was in a pump-up spray bottle much like you use when spraying for bugs. Our water hose was not much bigger than the standard garden type hose, so cleaning and rinsing took almost all night. Also, given the location of the engine thrust reversers, they would leave a heavy, dark ring around the fuselage and that was really tough to remove. The exhaust ring sure looked awful as it contrasted vividly with “desert gold” paint. Waxing an aircraft was not anyone’s favorite job either.
I later went to the stockroom, then to Line Coordinator, on to Tech Librarian, all before finally setting roots in our Technical Services Dept (now called the Engineering Dept).
Aw, shoot! Instead of writing long, boring paragraphs, I think I’ll just reflect on a few of the SWA events that I either had part in or witnessed as they happened. As far as I know, these are true:
I remember the aircraft’s overhead bins being open and flat and luggage held in place by a single bungee strap.
I remember those hot pants uniforms.
I remember those ornery removable headrest slips and how hard it was to align them straight.
I remember having a tiny de-icing cart, which was heated only by a propane barbeque grill type bottle, and using mops and large buckets to de-ice the wings of the aircraft.
I remember when the General Offices were on Regal Row and picking up and installing furniture for someone’s new office on many occasions.
I remember when the new hangar was built, and we left the old, WWI-type hangar across the runway.
I remember once or twice when the Flight Crew just taxied the aircraft to the Maintenance hangar with Passengers aboard. The aircraft was towed into the hangar where Mechanics made the repairs, pushed it back out onto the ramp, and away it went as if all this was routine.
I remember when the stock clerks stored and handled most of the company materials including bag tags (which were extremely heavy boxes), office supplies, ground equipment parts, and most everything else.
I remember when the stockroom had a printer, and we actually printed a lot of Company forms.
I remember the Chili Cookoff at Bachman Lake in the cold snow and ice.
I remember the arrival of our first, newly delivered 737-200, 737-300, 737-500 and 737-700 aircraft.
I remember the “Three Little Pigs.”
I remember the leased 727s.
Ah, yes, there were those hot pants uniforms.
I remember the day that the first Muse Air aircraft taxied, oh so slowly, by the SWA gates at Love Field.
I remember Jack Vidal.
I could go on and on, but this is getting long.
I will end this by saying that I could never have dreamed that SWA would become what it is today. I am thankful that someone gave me a chance back in 1976 and am thankful that I still have that same opportunity today. Although the airline has changed in many, many ways, I can still see that original “can do spirit” that was so prevalent in the early days. I have often thanked The Almighty for making this Company a part of my life.
Regrets? Only three: I wish that somehow I had been an original Employee. I wish that I had taken advantage of the many courses and classes offered to me by the U for P. Finally, I wish that I’d never drunk the water on the airplane. (Those who know me will understand that line.)
