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Preston Stiglets

Mrs. McClendon

Prosper Career Independent Studies

2/17/24

Evidence of Learning: Southwest Headquarters

Because of living in Prosper my whole life, I have built strong relationships with my

friends. I have been friends with Heyden since elementary school, and we share a passion for

aviation. Heyden is getting his Private Pilot's License (PPL) with only his checkride incomplete.

Through Heyden, I have built a connection with his dad. Mr. Mouncastle is a current pilot at

Southwest Airlines, and he has abundant connections, experiences, knowledge, etc. Through

PCIS, I chose Mr. Mountcastle as my mentor, as he is the perfect fit.

On December 15th, I received a text from my friend Heyden. Heyden was asking if I

wanted to join him at Southwest's headquarters. It was a no-brainer. Of course, I told him yes and

convinced Carson to join us. We scheduled a date to attend the headquarters, and I was very

excited.

We all hopped in Mr. Moutcastle's car and listened to a fantastic history lesson. Mr.

Mountcastle started rattling off all kinds of facts. Did you know that Southwest Airlines was

originally a Texas-only airline with airports in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio? Did you know

Southwest only flies the Boeing 737? Did you know that Southwest has around 80,000

employees? Did you know that Southwest bought a fuel tank/pump from Dallas, so they do not

pay for gas because they have direct access to the pipelines? With a 45-minute drive, I learned

more information than a 7-hour school day. We learned all kinds of information about Southwest

Airlines.
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As we drove around the airport, Mr Mountcastle pointed out Jerry Jones's hanger, the

new and old headquarters, and much more. We also saw the gas tank, which is connected to the

pipeline. Fuel prices are outrageous, so having free gas is a huge advantage. Southwest makes

millions of dollars because it can sell gas to all planes not affiliated with Southwest. It is rare for

airports to have access to the pipeline, so it is a massive advantage for Southwest Airlines. Once

we entered the headquarters, we signed in and went up the stairs to the 3rd floor. The 3rd floor is

home to Mr. Moutcastle's office and his peers. This is the first time I have seen something like it.

It looked like it came straight from the movies. For as far as I could see, cubicles filled the room.

It looked miserable, to be honest. Empty office after empty office created a depressing mood in

the building. After a short walk through the room, we found Mr. Moutcastle's office space.

Because of Mr. Mountcastle's high seniority, he has a separate room with only three other

colleagues. A nice little putting mat lay on the floor, flags hung on the wall, and funny

shenanigans were housed inside the office. Mr. Moutcastle has it good. One of his partners (in

the same side office) is a national champion for the Georgia Bulldogs as the starting QB, and he

was a Blue Angel pilot. Another colleague of Mr. Moutcastle was a remarkable man who was

one of the few workers working after the holidays. He is highly ranked in the Mississippi

National Guard, and he has a ton of power in his hand. Without a doubt, Southwest and other

airlines have some excellent employees.

After walking around the office, we ventured to the simulators. The room is three stories

tall and goes on forever. Massive 6 million dollar sims fill the room, helping pilots train to

become full-time pilots in the workforce. Pilots must also take a three-day course every year to

maintain their license. The "warehouse" is filled with classrooms. The classrooms are

"interrogation" rooms. Instructors ask thousands of questions about anything and everything.
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Pilots must know what every button does and what to do in every situation. Mr. Moutcastle

expressed that being a pilot is fun, but during the training days, "crap" gets real. Mr. Moutcastle

said during the interrogation and training that if you do something wrong, your job is on the line.

After walking around the sim room, we found our plane.

As we walked in the plane simulator, I was amazed by how realistic the plane was. Mr.

Moutcastle said that pilots train in the simulator and then go straight to flying passengers. It was

a replica of a standard 737 cockpit. Mr. Mountcastle chose to fly out of San Francisco, so we

flew around Alcatraz under the Golden Gate Bridge and made many landings. Although my

passengers would have a broken back from my landings, they are still alive. I learned a ton since

it was my first time flying a plane. Trim is an essential tool to help pilots fly the plane. Trim

helps pilots use less pressure on the yoke to fly the plane. The trim helps stabilize the plane so

the pilot does not have to constantly worry about ascending and descending.

Having the opportunity to tour Southwest Airlines' headquarters was an excellent

experience. I learned a ton of information and gained insight into the airlines. Having Mr.

Mountcastle as a mentor has opened up many doors, and it will continue to bring unique

opportunities like visiting Southwest headquarters.

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Works Cited

Mountcastle, Kevin. "Presentation on Corporate Culture at Southwest Airlines Headquarters."

Southwest Airlines Corporate Meeting, 28 Dec. 2023, Southwest Airlines Headquarters,

Dallas, Texas.