Mary Romero:
CLASS OF 1977
West High SchoolClass of 1977
Denver, CO
Mary's Story
Life
I am not and have never been married. I have had several long term relationships. The longest one with a man I met while he was an Air Traffic Control trainee like me. He decided it just wasn't something he liked doing so he went back to doing what he liked, flying. He was a Flight Engineer on C5 transport aircraft for the Reserves. We lived together for 14 years, my entire time in Houston. During that time I traveled all over to meet him in various places and we weathered lots of military assignments that kept him away from home for long periods. I have no children but, I am good at spoiling my nephews and other peoples children. I run a concession stand for Perl Mack Little League and am on the board of directors for that same organization. I still love the Broncos and have inherited my families season tickets. We still have the same seats we originally got when I was 1 year old. I still love Colorado but, have also seen lots of beautiful places all over the world and I am not sure if I will stay here forever. But, for now I am staying put. I love to "ride" motorcycles but, I am a bit of a snob and I love a Harley. It is the thing that relaxes me the most. I would rather spend my weekends doing that then just about anything else.
Workplace
Since June 1, 1983 I have been an Air Traffic Controller. A job that I still love doing after all these years. I got very lucky in that. I started my carrer with a 3 month school in Oklahoma City and then spent the next 14 years working at Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center. I loved the variety of things I got to do there. I worked helicopters to offshore oil rigs and flights across the Gulf of Mexico as well as the usual air traffic that takes place every day. I also got to work a flight called "The Vomit Comet" it is the aircraft that NASA uses to train it's astronauts in how it will feel to be weightless in space. I was fortunate enough while I was in Houston to be able to take a class at the Johnson Space Center on what is calle...Expand for more
d Physiological training. Basically you get to feel what happens when you loose pressurization at altitude in an aircraft and also what happens when your oxygen system stops working on an aircraft. The advantage is that you learn to recognize the signs of a pilot in trouble when you can still do something to help solve the problem and get the aircraft on the ground safely. After several failed attempts to transfer back to Denver I finally got back here in time for the first Super Bowl win for the Broncos in 1980. I actually started working at Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in October of 1979. This is where I will be when I retire. Which I am elligible to do soon.
Military
I joined the Colorado Air National Guard in March of 1977 during my senior year. I started working radar right away with training I recieved at my unit in Greeley. I was part of a mobile radar control unit. Which means we directed Aircraft of all kinds in many different missions including, Intercepts, Search and Rescue, Refueling, Interdiction (attacking ground forces). I went to basic training in July of 1977 followed by Tech school in Biloxi, Mississippi and returned to Denver in the fall of that year. I found that I enjoyed the job and the service so much that I decided to go Active Duty as soon as I could. After finishing 6 months service to the Colorado Air National Guard I began my active duty enlistment in May 1978. My first duty station was in Fortuna, North Dakota. From there I went to Syracuse, New York with a temporary duty assignment in Florida for a Weapons Contol Competition. All in all I really enjoyed my time in the Air Force. I was working a mid shift on the night that the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike. That changed my life quite a bit. I was offered a job at New York Air Traffic Control Center but turned that down. I didn't want to live on Long Island. I accepted a job offer for Houston Air Traffic Control Center and started my carrer as an Air Traffic Controller. I love my job!
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