Flybe / July 2019

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Meet the Team
114 / Flight Time / JULY 2019
How long have you been working
for Flybe and what attracted you
to your role?
I’ve been with Flybe now for almost
19 years. I started in 2000 on the Isle
of Man and then relocated to Exeter
in 2007. I’ve been here ever since. I’ve
always been attracted to being behind
the scenes of aircraft maintenance.
What does your day-to-day
job involve?
For each aircraft type there are
between 4,000 and 6,000 entries in
the Maintenance Program, detailing
maintenance tasks with set intervals
of when jobs are to be carried out.
They take into consideration flight
hours and flight cycles (landings and
taking off), detailed inspections, man-
hour requirements to carry out the
work – the list is exhaustive. I’m part
of a team of three, constantly updating
the Maintenance Programs and
ensuring continuous airworthiness
management. We are audited by the
CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) for
internal compliance annually. It gets
very busy!
What do you enjoy most about
your job?
Being part of a team, and feeding into
other Technical Support departments.
What’s the most memorable thing
that’s happened to you at work?
I’d say it’s more about memorable
people. Our offices on the Isle of Man
were attached to the Airport Arrivals.
Many films are made by the IOM Film
Commission and filmed on the island.
Famous people passing through
included Madonna, Patrick Swayze,
Renée Zellweger, Burt Reynolds,
Maggie Smith, Ewan McGregor and
David Schwimmer. Jeremy Clarkson
lived there and he regularly turned
up with James May and Richard
Hammond.
What three words would your
friends use to describe you?
Imaginative, generous and gossipy!
What do you enjoy doing when
you’re not at work?
I’m weird, I like housework. I also
enjoy cooking, shopping and the
cinema.
Where’s your favourite Flybe
destination and why?
Milan. When you have exhausted
the city, you can catch a train to the
Italian Lakes. Lake Maggiore is my
favourite, and only a couple of hours
away on the train, with stunning
scenery flashing by.
What would you recommend doing
or seeing there?
The towns of Stresa and Verbania
are gorgeous, located on the shores of
the lake with wonderful views of the
water and surrounding mountains.
Ferries are always buzzing about on
the lake, stopping at the various towns
and villages. Visit the tiny island of
Isola Bella, with its Baroque palace
and gardens. Lake Maggiore crosses
the Swiss border, and there’s a ferry to
Locarno in southern Switzerland, but
beware, it’s very expensive there!
NAME :
Jacks Cross
JOB ROLE :
Maintenance Programs Engineer
As a child, you wanted to be…?
A private detective – still do! I think
I could be quite successful at it. Or a
hotel chambermaid (can’t think why, I
hate making the bed at home).
What’s one thing people are most
surprised to discover about you?
I’m a Birmingham City Football Club
supporter and enjoy going to matches.
I also love old black-and-white
movies, especially Second World War
films.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
The soaps and reality TV. Love Island,
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here,
Strictly, X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent,
Great British Bake Of, Dancing on Ice – I
love them all. But I never vote for a
contestant. Actually, I don’t feel guilty
at all, but reading this now I suddenly
feel quite sheepish!