Ryan G. Collins, ACE
Airport Operations Shift Manager, Massachusetts Port Authority
Age: 35
- Alma Mater: Daniel Webster College
- What is your dream job? I am fortunate to be living out my dream. I always imagined I would work in aviation and my career path keeps me immersed in so many aspects of the industry.
- Who has impacted your career the most? My family, who encouraged me to take chances and follow my dreams.
- If I could go anywhere, it would be: I would love to visit Australia and New Zealand
- If I could have dinner with anyone living or dead: My Dad, who passed away almost 10 years ago.
- Favorite airport restaurant/eatery: The Planeview, Martha’s Vineyard Airport
Ryan Collins always had a love for aviation, but when he was coming out of college it took one big risk to take his career on the path to success.
Collins got a summer job doing line service at an FBO on Martha’s Vineyard, an area he knew little about besides a couple of childhood vacations. But Collins asked questions, learned and the next thing he knew a part-time summer job developed into a seven-year position where he learned every aspect of airport operations and even got opportunities to perform Angel Flights
“If you don’t ask the questions you won’t get the answers. And take risks,” he said. “You have to take chances. Aviation is an industry with a global reach...so if you’re not willing to take the chances and move and maybe take a gamble you’re not going to know until you do it.”
Collins has been the operations shift manager at Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) since 2010. He said it’s his career coming full circle as it’s the same airport her first fell in love with aviation as a child.
Collins originally went to school to be a pilot, but learned various aspects of the industry by working in the FBO business and ground handler while in college. After graduation, he worked at Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY), where he worked in operations and did everything from fueling and airfield maintenance, to working on the crash crew.
Collins currently leads the airport’s security program, its CAT III upgrade project, the SMGCS transition and has involvement in virtually every other aspect of the airport.
Collins is noted by his coworkers and superiors for his outstanding demeanor and sense of humor. He’s someone that can make you laugh and smile in the toughest of situations, while willing to research and take on whatever assignment is given to him in the upmost professional manner.
Collins has been a member of the regional FAA HIT Team; provided input to FAA SMS on CAT III RW/TW design standards with partial back-taxi ops; been a liaison with Corporate/GA owner/operators for operational safety briefings; manages weekly construction safety briefings with operations, contractors, engineers, FAA staff and environmental monitors; responds to daily construction needs of ALSF-2 installation, LOC platform construction, ILS glide slope relocation, NAVAID equipment and power installation, taxiway MSE wall construction, drainage maintenance and sedimentation/water quality control issues in adjacent public water supply reservoir; and had a successful role in obtaining FAA-approved MOS for partial parallel taxiway in CATIII conditions.\
“We’re trendsetters in aviation,” Collins said. “We try to find unique uses for technology.”
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