Blog Alumni

blusk
Author Since 2006

Brian Lusk

Of all our bloggers, I am probably the oldest, but I don’t feel my age. I was born in 1952, just a couple of blocks from the Santa Fe Railway’s main transcontinental line in Clovis, New Mexico to an airline father, so transportation (planes and trains) got in my blood at an early age. As a child, my fondest memories are spending days at work with my dad on the ramp in Amarillo, Texas and on the old observation deck at Dallas Love Field. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas as a journalism major, I got my first airline job with Delta in 1976. During my time at Delta, I worked at Dallas/Fort Worth (during three separate occasions), Detroit, Oakland, Atlanta (at the old terminal), Portland, Oregon, Paris Orly, and Dayton, Ohio. My 18½ years with Delta were split between ramp/operations and ticket counter/gates. I joined Southwest (thankfully!) in 1995, as a Reservations Sales Agent, but then I moved to the communications group in the Executive Office, where. I corresponded with our Customers on a wide variety of topics, but I also got to work on different projects like this blog. About five years ago I moved into the Communication & Strategic Outreach Department and worked primarily in our social media area. Then in 2011, I got my dream job as Southwest's Corporate Historian. I enjoy sharing and preserving Southwest's past with our Employees and the public at large.

Fun Facts

Languages

English and Blog

Hobbies

Aviation and Railroading

Pets

My basset, Annabelle

High School

El Segundo High School, El Segundo, Ca and WT White in Dallas

College

Southern Methodist

Favorite Sports Teams

Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavs, SMU, Cowboys

Favorite Travel Destinations

Scotland

Your Favorite Southwest Story

The current week's Flashback Fridays

Recent Activity:

Recent Activity Posts

A Salute to Herb

May 21 2008
Today marks a milestone in Southwest Airlines' history, and it's hard to know whether to celebrate or cry.  Our Executive Chariman and Cofounder, Herb Kelleher steps down as Chairman and gives up his Board position.  I don't need to go into pages of history to outline Herb's importance to the operation of our Company, and some of the links below will cover that.  However, no matter how great a... read more

Welcome to the Future of Nuts About Southwest

May 05 2008
What's a good way to celebrate a blog's second birthday? Well we thought the best way was to take our blog and make it even better. Thanks for joining us on our slightly belated birthday celebration as we roll out our exciting new Nuts About Southwest platform, or as we call it around here, our "blog 2.0 site." Don't worry, this is still the Southwest Airlines blog, and you haven't... read more

Pardon Our Dust

May 02 2008
Remember the scene in National Lampoon's Vacation when the Griswolds finally arrive at Wally World only to discover that the park is closed for renovation?  Clark goes berserk and punches the plastic nose of Wally Moose.  Well, I am the "moose out front" and I have to tell you that we are shutting down part of the blog-temporarily--tonight (at midnight, Friday) through Tuesday.  You... read more

05.06.08

May 01 2008
 ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!  UNBELIEVABLE!  I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!  You too will be saying the same things on 05.06.08, THE DATE THE BLOGOSPHERE WILL CHANGE FOREVER.  Be sure and check back here on May 6 because after that day, YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! How's that for hyperbole and shameless self-promotion?  What's going on anyway?  Well we have been hard at work taking Nuts About... read more

Odds and Ends

Apr 25 2008
We have a temporary shortage of posts in the ol' "blog larder" this week, so I thought I would share some unusual stuff I found while monitoring the blogosphere.   The first "blink" comes from Flight International again, and it is about a priest who is missing after he strapped himself to a bunch of helium balloons.  (The scariest part about this post is the commentator... read more

Congressional Hearings

Apr 03 2008
Southwest Airlines will be providing testimony to today's (Thursday, April 3) hearing of the House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and our Executive Chairman, Herb Kelleher, and CEO Gary Kelly are scheduled to testify.  The hearing begins at 9:oo a.m. Central Time and can be viewed at the Committee's web site.  You can also access our press release by clicking... read more

Behind the Scenes with Illinois One

Apr 16 2008
I finally added some additional photos.  On Monday, Paula posted about the ceremonies that introduced our newest specialty aircraft, Illinois One, to the Southwest fleet.  Well, I was there working as a volunteer with our Public Relations folks at the event.  Let me tell you, events like this don't happen overnight, and they involved a lot of coordination among all the parties--something made all... read more

Last Flight

Apr 24 2008
A lot of you are probably too young to remember the fall of South Vietnam, but it was a very tumultuous time.  The Flight International blog has posted a video taken 33 years ago on the last flight from DaNang to Saigon.  Besides the heroics of the World Airways Crew on the flight, the durability and toughness of Boeing aircraft are displayed in the video. read more

James Bond and the DC-3

Mar 28 2008
Okay, the only relation this post has to Southwest Airlines is that it is about aviation and I am writing it.  However, as a big James Bond fan and a even bigger fan of the Douglas DC-3--I took my first airplane ride on one in 1954, I had to share this post that I found on the Flight International blog.  It looks like the next Bond film is going to feature this venerable airliner. See ya at the... read more

Valentine's Photo Contest Reminder

Feb 13 2008
Hey, don't forget that today is the last day to enter and/or vote in our contest to send a lucky couple to Las Vegas.  To find out more information, click here. read more