Professional Pilot, October 2017

In front of Owens Corning Challenger 300 are L R company mascot Pink Panther Intern Greg Blanck Terry Smith Matthew Jacobs Ashley Buuck Patrick Wolff Jason Wyper Jay Treat Ryan Sleight Thomas Gahn David Fogle Melvin White Lorenzo Layson Cindy Johnson Robin Reynolds developed Beta Cloth a fireproof cloth used in Apollo Skylab A7L space suits to reduce burn risks In the consumer market OC is best known for its pink fiberglass insulation The company began dyeing its insulation pink in the late 50s to distinguish its product from the competitors In 1979 they adopted the United Artists Pink Panther as a mascot for advertising making Owens Corning a household name and in 1987 the company trademarked the color PINK becoming the 1st company to trademark a color Headquartered in Toledo OH this Fortune 500 company employs more than 17000 people across 33 countries It has been a Fortune 500 company since 1955 For the 8th year in a row Owens Corning NYSE OC is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index DJSI World an elite listing of the worlds largest companies based on long term economic environmental and social criteria OC flight operations Owens Corning became involved with the aerospace industry during World War II when they produced bomber aircraft insulation and composite parts These included a strong lightweight flexible S glass composite aluminum combination used in fuselage skins floor panels firewalls helicopter blades and eventually on a Space Shuttle robotic arm Recognizing the growing global nature of the company Boeschenstein also known as Mr Fiberglas launched the companys flight department in 1946 The 1st aircraft a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was perfect for transporting employees to plant locations 62 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2017 throughout the country The original Lodestar tail number N2426 is memorialized on the companys Learjet 45 today The OC flight department is based at TOL and operates 2 Bombardier Challenger 300s and 1 Lear 45XR primarily for domestic trips to remote locations and occasionally to Mexico and Canada Instead of taking a full day to get to one of our plants or customers we can make multiple stops and efficiently get people from all levels of the company to where they need to be says Chief Pilot Matt Jacobs The Challenger is perfect for executive trips because of its comfortable cabin and long range while the Learjet runs a 25 minute shuttle from Toledo to Columbus 2 days a week The company averages 400 hours a year on each airplane and moves about 4900 passengers McMurray travels on the company aircraft about 6 trips per month to meet with investors and stakeholders to conduct company business As CFO he frequently visits NYC a destination he can reach in only 2 hours using the Challenger compared to half a day on a commercial airline He often completes work and meetings enroute using inflight connectivity Our corporate aircraft are big productivity and sales tools that allow me to execute my job effectively he adds Flight dept personnel OC currently employs 9 pilots all typed on both aircraft for easy scheduling and provides them with a long and prosperous outlook for advancement Pilots tend to stay long term because the company takes good care of its people Management recognizes that when you make people happy you keep good employees Director of Aviation Terry Smith joined OC in January 1979 with 3000 hours He started as a King Air 200 captain and copilot on Learjet 25 and Gulfstream I He moved up to his current position in 1994 As DOA Smith manages the flight department and still flies 250 hours per year He began flying at age 15 and earned all his ratings prior to attending Ohio State University where he stayed working as a CFI His corporate pilot career began as a contract pilot flying for various companies including Owens Corning Smith has been a member of the Aviation Directors roundtable since 1997 He states networking with his peers has provided him with tools to run a very successful flight dept Its one of the most valuable things Ive ever done in my career he declares The group meets in person quarterly to discuss various topics and brainstorm Smith believes in leadership training and encourages his pilots to attend the NBAA leadership conference and get involved with committees and roundtables This flight department is very respected and were proud to have retired many folks with more than 30 years at OC states Smith The new pilot shortage will prompt corporate flight departments overall to be more competitive but with our focus on safety and development and family were up for the challenge Chief Pilot Matthew Jacobs joined the company in 1990 and was appointed chief pilot in 2006 He generates the pilots schedule based on