In an effort to minimize the interruption of plane services, taxiing lines were repainted so that plane wings do not encroach upon the construction area. Davis said, "In some cases, the plane wings are within a few feet of the construction limits."

Cost minimizing strategies have been implemented as well. The demolition of the heavy duty concrete on the concourse can be expensive, but Davis and the survey team have been marking the concrete precisely where the new structure will be built so that saw cuts may be made as close as possible.

Davis worked with David Phillips, currently with JS Clark, several years ago on the Piedmont Area Regional Transportation (PART) hub and left a good impression. Davis said, "He had complimented our work on the PART hub and remembered our attention to detail there. He wanted a surveying firm that he could trust to do the critical layout of the airport concourse expansion."

Bryan Powell just wants to "have fun and live life to the fullest," and this GIS Technician seems to be doing just that. Bryan’s path to the GIS team at A&A was paved by his desire to work with a technology he finds "fascinating," and he recently spent four weeks hiking out west because he has "always wanted to see the western region of the United States."

A Wildlife Sciences major at Virginia Tech, Bryan participated in a project his senior year that utilized GIS technology to map out the habitat and populations of threatened and endangered species. His fascination with GIS and its many applications led him to his current position at A&A, instead of the more conventional positions pursued by his classmates in the Wildlife Sciences program.

Bryan’s vacation out west was a 30-day, 14-state, 6746-mile road trip from Seattle, WA to Roanoke, VA and included stops at Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon National Parks. Bryan and his girlfriend camped in an alpine meadow, hiked to an altitude of 12,305 feet, ate Ramen noodles for 3 straight weeks, and even swam with a bear.

Bryan definitely takes advantage of the things that he enjoys and the opportunities that come his way. If you have any questions about Bryan’s work on the GIS team or want to see more of his 1,026 digital pictures from his trip, e-mail him at powell@andassoc.com. &