Jimmy Hidalgo was an intern at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport during the summer of 2014 and recently graduated prior to the internship from the Florida Institute of Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management. Jimmy gained experience in daily airport management activities as an Airport Operations Coordinator, performing daily inspections of the airfield and scanning the airspace for any obstructions to ensure a safe environment for aircraft. He also was tasked with a security enhancement project based on recommendations of a recent security assessment that addressed vulnerable areas on the airport that posed a threat to the safety and security of aircraft and airport users. Jimmy surveyed all of the vehicle, pedestrian, and entry access points that provided direct access to the Airside Operations Area (AOA). The end result determined that there was an abundance of gates that were not in use and many gates had rusted chains with locks that had no keys to be found or took a painstaking amount of time to find the right key out of a handful of keys. Jimmy coordinated the removal of several gates and addressed areas of the airfield fence that needed repairs or new barb wire. All of the chains at the gates were replaced with new combination code locks with specific codes for those gates only accessible to airport staff, and other codes were assigned for the tenants. He also created an airside access gate map that depicted all of the gates that were color-coded to quickly reference the code for a specific gate. The security enhancement project proved to be a successful improvement to the safeguarding of the AOA.
Jimmy’s Airport Operations career continued upon the completion of the internship from a general aviation airport to a commercial service airport at the Orlando-Sanford International Airport for the next three years. At the Orlando-Sanford International Airport, he gained a deeper understanding of the overall operation of a commercial airport. Jimmy was involved with all aspects of the airport that included periodic reports regarding the activities of the Main Terminal, Parking Garages, and Commercial Airline asset billings.
After his three-year tenure at the Orlando-Sanford International Airport, he expanded his experience in aviation by joining the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority(GOAA) at the Orlando International Airport. He currently is an Airfield Operations Specialist, where he conducts daily airfield inspections and compliance with Title 14 CFR FAR Part 139 standards. He also ensures the airport safety of the AOA perimeter fence
lines and its corresponding airport property line; reference to Title 49 CFR Part 1540 and Title 49 CFR Part 1542. Jimmy has a Private Pilot License with over 80 hours of flight time with an Airplane Single Engine Land (SEL) rating. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his German Shepherd and spending time with his family, when he is not overseeing the safety and security compliance regulations at the airport. We're so proud to see Jimmy's career flourish! #FlyKissimmee #FlyKISM