Does Craft = Better CX?

I witnessed the shoulders of the three Delta Air Lines Airbus 339 pilots relax ever so slightly... 40 or 50 of us were gathered for a briefing on an April Tuesday at Santa Maria airport (KSMX) near California’s central coast. We all listened as Kevin LaRosa laid out plans for the air to air scenes that were about to unfold.?

If you’ve ever flown on a Delta flight and have seen an amazing shot of one of their planes flying through clouds or making a graceful banked turn above mountains, you may not realize it, but you’re familiar with Kevin’s work. Or maybe you happened to see a movie in-flight with incredible aerials? Top Gun Maverick comes to mind… Kevin LaRosa II was the aerial coordinator and lead camera pilot on the film that set the standard for the intersection of aviation and filmmaking.

Why were we here? Delta Air Lines is an incredible brand that cares deeply about its relationships with its customers. Many of us love to fly and truly appreciate a highly crafted experience (it’s the attention to detail that I always notice - plus or minus). Without question on this day, Delta was leaving nothing on the table when it came to capturing the sheer joy of flight on their airline.?

The project was the inspiration of Drake Springer , creative director and head of production for Delta’s in-house agency, Window Seat. I got an invite to “come and check out what we’re up to” because Drake knew we share a deep love of flying and of filmmaking. It required zero arm twisting...

Earlier that morning at KSMX, I flew in ahead of the “flight of two” (terminology for a formation flight when talking to Air Traffic Control) on their way in from LAX: a Phenom camera jet, followed by one of Delta’s new Airbus 339s. First to roll up to the FBO was the Phenom, piloted by Kevin and carrying the team of filmmakers from his company XBrand. Shortly after, vans shuttled a team of 20+ over from the 339, representing every business unit within Delta. Their grins told the story of how the morning had unfolded.?

They had been inside the Airbus while the camera jet flew in close formation, near enough to get photos of Kevin doing what he does better than anyone else in the world: hand flying just off the wing of an aircraft so his camera crew could capture breath-taking air to air visuals and stills.

Post lunch, the briefing allowed me (as a pilot) to understand one of the pieces that make Kevin and his team at XBrand so good at what they do: incredibly detailed preparation. Everyone in the room could sense it- most importantly the three pilots who were about to fly the new Airbus alongside Kevin as he switched gears and flew a helicopter, also outfitted with a camera gimbal.

For the next 90 minutes the video live streaming to a large monitor was greeted with a chorus of “Ooohhhs!” and “Aaaahhhs!” It was remarkable to take in, given that both disciplines (aviation and filmmaking) require incredible attention to detail. Each new pass revealed gorgeous moves and beautiful lighting that we’ll all appreciate on our upcoming flights with Delta.

During the briefing, the final “if we have time” shot was described as ‘a flyover as if the plane has just taken off over the top of us”’. Post briefing, the pilots huddled with Kevin to ensure it could be done safely and in a way that would yield the perfect shot. They decided to do the flyover several thousand feet off the ground, where the Airbus would fly directly overhead of the hovering helicopter. The first trial pass was good, but intentionally had a larger altitude gap so it failed to feel, well... dramatic.?

The next pass came about five minutes later- the time it took the Airbus to travel around a circuit and end up in the same spot. You could feel the anticipation in the room. Initially a dot on the horizon, the large plane approached, straight at the camera. And then it happened. The room erupted as the shot tilted upward and the underside of the Airbus came straight over the top, displaying the DELTA logo on the aircraft’s body.

After a brief celebration, the teams headed back out, once again in the camera jet and the Airbus - this time to rendezvous with another Delta Airbus 321neo over the Channel Islands. Their goal was to catch sunset shots of the two planes in formation with the islands and the Pacific below.?

I departed Santa Maria to the north ahead of them. As I flew up the coast, in between talking to ATC, I tuned my second radio to their shared frequency and listened to the back and forth between the pilots. The last transmission I picked up while I flew over Monterey Bay was Kevin, 200+ miles south, saying, “Hold that bank angle. The light is perfect!”

I love when I get a chance to witness high performing teams doing what they do best. This day, it just happened that their work had to be done with precision at hundreds of miles per hour.

I celebrate storied brands like Delta who care so much about customer experience that they choose incredible partners and leave nothing on the table when it comes to craft.?

Does craft equal better customer experience? My short answer is yes. I look forward to and welcome your thoughts on this idea in the comments!

Soon... I can’t wait to see some of these scenes in-flight!