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JULY 2018
Meet the Team
How long have you been working
for Flybe and what attracted you
to your role?
I love working in aviation and having
lived in Exeter all my life I feel fortunate
to be working for Flybe. I’ve been here
for nearly five years. The appeal for me
is that it’s a very interesting role with a
lot of variety and although much of my
time is spent working behind a desk, I
also get the opportunity to go into the
hangar and spend time on and around
the aircraft.
What does your day-to-day
job involve?
My day-to-day tasks can vary quite a
lot, but essentially it involves compiling,
maintaining and auditing records;
providing documentary evidence of
the status of an aircraft at the time of
handback when it’s returned to a lease
company or delivery, when it joins the
fleet; and confirming the aircraft has
been maintained, and is in compliance
with various lease and legislative
requirements. An eye for detail and
some detective work is needed at times!
What do you enjoy most about
your job?
I work with a great bunch of people
and really enjoy my job, but due to the
nature of my work it’s not without its
challenges. So, when the handback
process of an aircraft I have been part
of has been completed, or an aircraft
I’ve been involved in delivering can
be seen taking off with its cabin full of
passengers, I find that very rewarding.
What’s the most memorable thing
that’s happened to you at work?
Whilst with Flybe, I’ve been lucky
enough to have the opportunity to
work in some interesting places such
as Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville and
Toronto. A fantastic experience which
has given me some great memories.
What three words would your friends
use to describe you?
Loyal, conscientious and humorous.
What do you enjoy doing when
you’re not at work?
I like to travel. I’m also a bit of a movie
buff and I enjoy catching up with friends
over a good cup of coffee, but my main
pastime is playing electric guitar. I
absolutely love it. I’ve been playing for
more than 20 years. I play mainly
rock and blues and,
more recently,
some country.
Some of those
country guitarists
can really play!
Where’s your
favourite Flybe
destination and
why?
It has to be Dublin. It’s a
vibrant, hospitable city with
some great architecture.
There is lots to see and do and
taking in the sights on foot is a
really enjoyable experience.
Dublin has a great musical
vibe too. So, if you like
your music, there is
something for you,
whatever your taste.
What would you
recommend doing or
seeing there?
It was during my time
working in Nashville
that I got into country music and
for the last two years I have visited
Dublin to see the Country to Country
concerts. Three nights of top-notch
music, featuring many A-list country
artists. It’s a fantastic event and is well
worth checking out even if you’re not
a country fan. You may be pleasantly
surprised.
As a child, you wanted to be…?
My initial response to this question was
to say taller and older. Looking back, I
think my earliest career aspiration was
to become a policeman. As I only grew
to 5 feet eight, I’m not quite sure if I
would have made the grade.
What’s one thing people are most
surprised to discover about you?
I have a twin brother Darren. I’m the
oldest by two minutes (not that I’m
showing off or anything). We are not
identical, although having said that,
we’re looking more alike as we get
older. Over the years we would often
be mistaken for one another which I
occasionally used to my advantage. It’s
less likely to happen these days as my
brother now lives in Detroit and works
as an engineer for the Ford Motor
Company.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Definitely my guitar collection. I have a
thing about guitars. Anyone who knows
me would agree. In fact, it’s such a guilty
pleasure I’m not going to say exactly
how many I own. Let’s just say it’s more
than 15 (and that’s being very
economical with the truth).
They all play and sound great
and I wouldn’t want to part
with any one of them.
NAME
Russell Ford
JOB TITLE
Airworthiness Assistant