ORBIS Plane at LGA

[mirrodie]

Understand though they were set up for a lot of tours and Orbis' focus was to show the inside of the plane to as many people as possible.

Actually in speaking with some of the reps, the Orbis aircraft is the flagship for the entire program. Realize that much of the surgery provided is also in local area hospitals where they are flying. But the aircraft itself is the most visible advertising. If you look at the interior shots, all you are seeing is a hospital without realizing its on a plane. So in some sense its a failure.

Which is pretty ridiculous considering Kid's Day takes place on the same ramp.

Yep, I had that same thought. One of the aviation d-bags said there was no photos allowed on airport property, at which point I was going to ask then about kids day, but I didnt want to make him look like a complete ass.

At kids day, there is no PR and its a field day. But here, where Orbis needs and wants to get the word out, they were all about no photos. And let it be said again, the Orbis people were scared by it. At kids Day, all you need is one high school sprinter with an idea and he can bolt across the runway.

Toward the end of the tour, I was standing in the doorway of the plane, one foot on the airstairs and one foot inside the aircraft. The sun was peaking and I was working a shot of the rudder looking skyward. I was technically half inside the plane and the Orbis folks were freaking. Not because they cared but b/c they were under scrutiny by the PA.

On the way back, the bus was full of Orbis folks who came back with us as this was the last tour. Most of them were 20-30 somethings. We were chatting and they were all pissed that no pics could be taken from the outside.

Sad really.

The real shame about no cameras was Port's short sightedness when it came to a camera crew. NYC is the biggest media market in the world and this would have been great coverage for their cause. Port and LGA's airport manager Warren Koeppel really should have stepped up and allowed the press in. Shame on Port and LGA management.

A total shame. Someone should alert them to this thread.

[mirrodie]

BTW, I doubt I'll be posting an pics, but does anyone have any questions about the equipment that you've taken photos of?

A thread about the Orbis plane is shallow until you get into the real PURPOSE of the planes very existence.
Someone emailed me a question about the plane and its purpose, such as how most blindness is preventable, and what are the biggest causes of blindness. Also, no surgery is done in flight. That would be a COMPLETE DISASTER!

The Orbis plane is here for a reason and that is AWARENESS. The PA at LGA failed in their part of meeting that goal.

I would love to help with any questions.

[cancidas]

...all you are seeing is a hospital without realizing its on a plane. So in some sense its a failure.

i don't think it's a failure. you need a sterile environment for any surgery. the fact that they can take that hospital to any place on the planet is a massive sucess.

[mirrodie]

Sure it is.

Its a PR failure in some regards.

Tell me this Matt:

-Why this crazy crackdown on no photos outside the plane? The plane is a symbol of what the company does and LGA quashed the symbol. The Orbis a/c is analagous to Nike's Swoosh. Covering Nike's swoosh at a PR event is ridiculous.

-Why the crazy crackdown when Kids Day is a photo haven?

It does not seem to make any sense whatsoever. No justification.

[Derf]

I want to make one thing perfectly clear, There must have been a reason as everyone knows what goes on there during kids day and how nice they are to us. If there was something going on that they were looking out for, they would not want to tell us for good reason. I was upset as many of you are too, but after thinking about it for some time....there would be a reason. I also was told the First lady was around that time, and I can not even imagine what I do not know.

Seriously.... you want to know when your not in the know, and when you are in the know, you do not want others to know or find out and understand why.

One of those cases where we will not know and should be happy....I HOPE never to hear why. They were crazy about security, I do not think it was just typical Post 9/11....do you?

[Derf]

Wow, that sounds cryptic.... I seriously do not know what was up, but it was NOT NORMAL :!:

[Matt Molnar]

I also was told the First lady was around that time, and I can not even imagine what I do not know.

I believe she left on Wednesday.

[mirrodie]

Wow, that sounds cryptic....

what was? my post or yours?

[Derf]

Wow, that sounds cryptic....

what was? my post or yours?

My post...when re-reading it, it sounded like doubletalk

[mirrodie]

Well, cryptic is also the security gestapo this weekend!

[cancidas]

-Why this crazy crackdown on no photos outside the plane? The plane is a symbol of what the company does and LGA quashed the symbol. The Orbis a/c is analagous to Nike's Swoosh. Covering Nike's swoosh at a PR event is ridiculous.

-Why the crazy crackdown when Kids Day is a photo haven?

well i don't know who made the decision as to not allowing photography, so i really can't speak to that. i don't agree with the rule either but arguing about it now isn't going to help matters. it surely impeded what ORBIS wanted to do though.

it could be because they don't want folks roaming wildly around the ramp area. was there any security out there around the airplane? don't forget that while the airplane was parked there the ramp and taxiway DD were still active. while standing in the parking lot i saw several a/c taxi past the airplane on thier way to 13. that ramp is also used for transient GA a/c parking. i doubt the PA wanted to shut down the ramp and DD just to facilitate ORBIS' tours.

as far as kids day goes, that is an event that is meant to be a family-oriented gathering. the entire ramp is devoted to kids running around and the area is literally saturated with PA employees that can aid in keeping an eye on the rugrats and making sure they don't walk all over the place. also, taxiway DD is shut down to a/c traffic.

[emshighway]

The real shame about no cameras was Port's short sightedness when it came to a camera crew. NYC is the biggest media market in the world and this would have been great coverage for their cause. Port and LGA's airport manager Warren Koeppel really should have stepped up and allowed the press in. Shame on Port and LGA management.

He probably didn't know someone was restricting this otherwise he would have stepped in. Like I said it was probably PAPD. They think they answer to no one.

[mirrodie]

i don't think it's a failure. you need a sterile environment for any surgery. the fact that they can take that hospital to any place on the planet is a massive sucess.

well i don't know who made the decision as to not allowing photography, so i really can't speak to that. i don't agree with the rule either but arguing about it now isn't going to help matters. it surely impeded what ORBIS wanted to do though.

Matt, I'm not arguing at all. But perhaps I misunderstood you altogether. You don't think their PR was a failure but yet you feel it surely impeded that ORBIS wanted to do.

I think we're saying the same thing.

EMS, I think you are right. In a sense, it seems there was as dis-connect between the person who calls the shots and the enforcers.
C'est la vie.

[Matt Molnar]

You don't think their PR was a failure but yet you feel it surely impeded that ORBIS wanted to do.

I'm a little puzzled that there was no local news coverage of their visit. In that sense it was a failure, not sure whose though.

[cancidas]

I think we're saying the same thing.

we may just be, and i rather focus on the fact that what ORBIS is doing is having a much more positive impact than thier backwards PR experience at LGA.