So I finally got my badge! I was really worried about that. I needed to get my employee number to be able to get my badge just so I could request a log in and also activate my flying privileges. Yes that’s right! I get flight privileges to anywhere Delta flies! We are all planning a trip this weekend maybe to Buenos Aires, Dublin, or Barcelona. We looked at Cairo but might not be able to into that one. We’ll see though. Tomorrow, Friday, is when we will see where we are going. We fly stand by so we look at the flights that we have the best chance on getting on.

Anyways, the first week is almost done and I must say, it has been a very good one. It still was a little slow just trying to get things set up but I have met all of my project managers and the people that I will be working with. There are some really cool things that I will be doing. One of those is building a business case for upper level management in eliminating paper in the cockpit and ramp operations. Pilots would be using more of an electronic flight bag that would be inter-connected to the airplane and flight operations. If this becomes possible, it would eliminate around $500,000/yr of paper cost in Atlanta alone. If all the other hubs follow suit, it could save millions for the company! And here I am, a regular undergraduate student barely 21 working on this. I feel pretty badass! J

A couple other projects is making sure that pilots are registered to go in Israeli Airspace (because you must be cleared before you take off due to security reasons), doing jumpseat authorization letters, helping the other inters with their projects. I’m excited because all of the interns in Flight Operations (which is only 3 total including me) will be working with each other helping each other out on projects, learning and making mistakes, but build experience in the process. I cannot wait until we are left alone to do our own things and be treated like employees at Delta.

I think that that is the thing that I like most about this internship. We are not the interns that run for coffee or get food for the boss. We are treated like employees working on similar projects that veteran employees have been working on. Only one week and I already feel like part of the team. I am really excited.