By Shannon Steffke Every September, mental health shows up on the industry calendar. It is National Suicide Prevention Month, and for a few weeks the skilled trades talk openly about a subject they usually keep quiet. The posters go up and a hotline number gets shared. But by the time October rolls around, the topic… Read more »
By Samuel Allen, C.M., ACE Airport Operations Manager and AOA Safety Consultant Whether personally or professionally, everyone needs a little help sometimes. Unlike personal help, professional help on the AOA often comes in the form of certified and qualified contractors. For high-stakes projects, particularly on the airfield, correct selection of a contractor is often just… Read more »
By Lonna Whiting For airports large and small, leaders spend a lot of time prioritizing capital work, advancing strategic initiatives, and maintaining regulatory requirements. It’s a constant challenge, and anytime you bring a runway construction project into the mix, it doesn’t take long for overwhelm, deadline stress, and budget anxiety to follow. Like many airport… Read more »
By Samuel Allen, C.M., ACE Airport Operations Manager and AOA Safety Consultant In any safety-oriented company culture, frontline employees play a pivotal role and are often underappreciated. While leadership may define policies and procedures, it is the daily actions, decisions, and observations of these employees that ultimately determine whether a workplace remains safe or becomes… Read more »
By Lonna Whiting, writer, Alder Airfield Services A pilot flying one of her regular routes prepares her descent onto a runway she’s navigated hundreds, maybe thousands of times before. She expects all to be clear. After all, she’s landed in that very spot time and again without incident. Then one day, the runway appears normal… Read more »
Written for Alder by Airport Operations Consultant Samuel Allen, C.M., ACE, this special blog series focuses on hazardous behavioral attitudes that deter safety on the AOA. From overly confident macho men and women to the flaggers who seem to have no fear, Sam defines the most common characteristics of hazardous attitudes in aviation construction work.… Read more »
By Samuel Allen, C.M., ACE Airport Operations Manager Airport construction takes place in one of the most unforgiving and fluid work environments imaginable. Crews operate heavy equipment near active taxiways and runways, often at night, under tight airfield closure windows, and within carefully sequenced construction phasing plans. In this setting, impulsivity becomes a hazardous attitude… Read more »
By Samuel Allen, C.M., ACE Airport Operations Manager Construction sites are inherently hazardous situations, but physical risks are only part of the safety equation. Mindset plays an equally important role. In aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identifies five “hazardous attitudes” that impair judgment and increase risk: anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, and resignation. Although developed… Read more »
As 2025 came to a close, and as we’ve ventured into these first weeks of 2026, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the year behind us, the people who made it meaningful, and the direction Alder Airfield Services is heading in 2026. This year took us from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to San Antonio… Read more »
On a recent Saturday morning in September, the sun was shining, the air carried a toasty Texas warmth that always encourages me to take more time for reflection … and more coffee. Like my morning brew, my gratitude has felt especially bold, rich (and a little sweet) these days. Not long ago we were celebrating my graduation from Denver International… Read more »