may2023 - 43

Ground Support Spotlight
Spotlight on:
Steve Berry
BY JOSH SMITH
Ground Support Worldwide: What
attracted you to a career in the
ground support industry?
Steve Berry: My origin story is simple
and began on the recommendation of
a friend instead of an existing love and
passion for aviation. I was a junior in
high school, busing tables at a local
restaurant when a friend told me the local
airport was hiring. Since I also didn't
have a passion for clearing dishes, I went
to the airport and filled out an application.
Within a week or so I'd entered my
decades-long career in the general aviation
industry as a line service technician.
GSW: What has kept you engaged in
the industry?
SB: When I was working the line, I was
drawn to the " cool factor " of working
around airplanes. I enjoyed both the
responsibility that comes with working
with aircraft and the satisfaction
of knowing what I did mattered. None
of my buddies at the time could say
they spent their weekend handling
multi-million-dollar jets. After my
time working the line, I left the ground
handling world for a few years but came
back because of the potential for job
security. In 2009 I took a job with Eastern
Aviation Fuels (now Titan Aviation
Fuels) and never looked back. I thought
then, and still do now, that any company
hiring in the midst of a recession is
a pretty good indicator of the industry's
long-term prospects.
GSW: What's the best advice you've
been given while working in this field?
SB: " You know more than you think
you do. " When I first started teaching
seminars and workshops, I'd get so
anxious and nervous about presenting...
I imagined that someone in the audience
would tell me I didn't know what I
was talking about or that I didn't belong
leading a class. Michael Mattern, my boss
and mentor at the time, reassured me
that I knew more than I thought I did, the
audience was there to learn from me, and
I wouldn't be at the table if I didn't belong
there. Sound advice that I still follow.
GSW: How have you seen the ground
support industry change the most?
SB: The maturity of the industry when
it comes to training and safety has
changed the most. When I first started
on the ramp, training was basically
on-the-job - following the senior guys
and doing what they did. There was no
formal process around training. Much
of the move toward standardization has
been led by NATA through our Safety 1st
training program and company leaders
who understand the value of investing in
a robust training prgram.
Also, the adoption of safety management
systems (SMS) in the ground space is
another indicator of the maturity we're
now seeing.
GSW: What's the next big thing coming
to the ground support industry?
SB: The move to fully embrace tech
to make smarter, safer ramps. The GA
ramp has been an analog place for much
longer than the rest of the world. Now,
that old-fashioned way of thinking is
changing rapidly with NATA member
companies leading the way. Our partners
at NDX, for example, have pioneered
some incredible solutions using proximity-based
technology for managing fuel
quality, ground operations and collision
prevention on the ramp. I encourage you
to check them out.
GSW: What type of an impact will it
make?
SB: It's all about being proactive rather
than reactive. The integration of smart
tech allows for the benefits of real-time
observations, analytics, alerting and
reporting to be realized on the ramp in
ways never before possible. By inJob
Title: Managing Director, Safety
and Training
Company: National Air Transportation
Association (NATA)
Location: Washington, DC
Years of Experience in Ground
Support: 21
Years with Current Company: 6
Previous Employers in the Industry:
Eastern Aviation Fuels, Stuart Jet
Center, Fort Pierce Jet Center
Industry committees, associations,
working groups served on:
NATA Safety Committee 2017-Current
NATA GA Fuel Handling Subcommittee
2019-Current
EI Aviation Committee (AvCom)
2020-Current
ATA 103 Working Group 2021- Current
NFPA 407 2021-Current
NFPA 418 2021- Current
SAE 5-C Aviation Ground Fueling
2022-Current
Aviation Insurance Association Safety
Committee 2022- Current
creasing the level of insight into ramp
operations, we can identify trends and
issues before they develop into incidents
and accidents.
GSW: What would you say to encourage
someone to join the ground
support industry?
SB: Jump in - the opportunity for growth
and advancement is wide open. When
I first started working the line back in
2002, I never imagined then that I would
be where I am today. I am proud to be a
part of a fantastic industry full of great,
supportive people.
May 2023 || AviationPros.com || 43
http://www.AviationPros.com
may2023

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