PORTLAND, Maine — All week we’re checking out some of the ‘coolest’ jobs in Maine. First stop: the Portland International Jetport.
There some 400 people that make up the ground crew team and they battle some of the harshest conditions to get your flight out on time
"Especially when it gets -27 out here, you definitely miss the palm trees,” Tyler Wilcox said.
Wilcox is a ramp supervisor who was born and raised in Maine before he moved to Miami to get his start in the industry.
Now that he is back home, he is a part of the crew out in subzero temperatures to help Mainers get to their warmer destinations
"Just bundle up. That's all you can do,” Wilcox said.
From handling baggage to directing planes in and out, Wilcox and his crew scramble to get the job done safely while still staying warm.
He said his biggest concern is when the tarmac becomes an “ice rink.”
That’s also something Tim Hoar is worried about. As Site Manager, he often inspects crucial infrastructure at the Jetport—including ice build-up on the movable jet bridges.
"It builds up on the roof,” Hoar said. ‘You can see some on that roof up there."
Hoar said they have had to improve certain parts, like the tires on the jet bridges, to withstand the cold weather.
"[The tires] are solid tires instead of pneumatic. We used to have a lot of problems with the air in the tires going flat,” Hoar said.
NEWS CENTER Maine’s Zach Blanchard gave their jobs a shot to see just how ‘cool’ they really were.
So next time you take a flight from the frozen tundra of Maine to the soft beaches of Florida, remember the men and women working hard out in the cold to help you get there.