Behind the Scenes: From Tickets to Baggage, There’s Lots to Do Before Taking Flight [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- This week in our "Behind the Scenes" series on WJON, we prepare to take flight at the St. Cloud Regional Airport and see what work goes on before take off.

It may seem like forever as you sit and wait to board your flight, but a lot of pieces are in play to make sure your flight is ready and the journey starts with check in.

Aaron Forr is the Station Manager for Sky West Airlines. He says they follow a certain procedure when passengers check in.

"We start by going through their reservation and make sure everything is in line and making sure we check their bags to the right destination," says Forr.

Once you have your ticket, your bags are checked and prepared to be loaded on the plane. Then it's through security and wait to board the plane.

However, during that time crews are making sure the plane is ready for the next take off.

"Once the people are off the flight crew will usually clean the plane and make it presentable for the next flight," says Forr.

Airport Director Bill Towle says as the plane is being cleaned, crews being to unload bags from the plane and reload with new luggage.

"So the luggage carts would be filled with bags and come along the outside of the building where they put the bags on the bag belt and passengers can pick them up on the other side," says Towle.

As that's happening communication begins between the pilot's and the flight tower.

"They are talking directly to the pilots and they are giving them permission to land and take off as well as talking to any other aircraft or crews that might be on the runway," says Towle.

Before the flight can take off and the boarding process begins crews survey the runway to a make sure it's safe for take off.

"We make sure their is a safe place to land for the airplanes and while people are waiting for their flight we want to make sure their is a safe environment for the airplane to land," says Towle.

Finally after a through checklist is completed it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy your flight.