Attendance At A New High For 2008
by ANN Correspondent Aleta Vinas
Smiles and laughter are not the norm
at 7:30 in the morning, unless you are attending a Women in
Aviation Conference. While most folks are bleary eyed and reaching
for their first cup of coffee, the line for registration began to
form early Thursday, with good humor and new friends being made
already.
The three-day Women in Aviation conference being held this year
in San Diego is a mixture of job searching, networking and
education. This conference marked the 19th gathering of aviation
professionals and aviation hopefuls.
The festivities actually started on Wednesday, for those willing
to arrive early. Tours of North Island and the USS Midway aircraft
carrier, which is now a museum, were available. A Flight Instructor
Refresher Clinic was held Wednesday and today for those wishing to
renew their instructor certificates.
The new member social is one of the first events that open the
convention. A record number of new members swarmed into the
room. Kari Smith, new WAI member and HR Manager at Columbia
Helicopters hopes to "hire really great women in aviation." She is
primarily searching for mechanics and pilots. Others are there
looking for the positions Smith and the other employers have to
offer. WAI offers the opportunity for both sides to meet.
Dr. Peggy Chabrian, WAI President and founder, greeted the
crowd, admonishing them to ignore the tables and chairs and to
mingle and meet new people. Chabrian joked that the doors would be
locked and no one let out until they could prove they had met
someone new.
In addition to a record amount of new members, Conference
attendance was at a high from the pre-registrations with over 3300
women and men signed up.
While waiting for the Exhibit Hall Opening Ceremony the crowd
listened to the WAI Jazz Band. The band was sponsored this year by
Wings Financial.
Prior to the opening of the Exhibit Hall, Chabrian announced the
opening of the first WAI Internet Cafe, sponsored by DTC Duat. In
addition to the potential employers in the exhibit hall, there is
an internet job fair for attendees. Over 160 jobs have already been
posted to the site. The employers eagerly await posting of the
resumes of the job seekers looking for the perfect match.
Dr. Chabrian called up her board members to help her with the
ribbon cutting. A special helper was called up as well, Wally Funk,
one of the Mercury 13. Funk has not missed a WAI conference in
their 19 years of existence. It is suspected that the only way she
would miss one is because of traveling in space.
With the Exhibit Hall open the search for jobs and "swag" began
in earnest. Many companies were performing on site interviews. New
products were being demonstrated to interested attendees. The
WASP's had a table in the exhibit hall and young pilots could be
found paying rapt attention to these women who paved the way for
today's women.
To round out the day, the Opening Reception was held sponsored
by the US Navy and Department of Defense. More chances for
networking as well as appetizers were provided.
Tomorrow the educational sessions get started as well as the
guest speakers. Human Factors, Air Traffic Control, the law and
aviation, medical factors and more. If you want to learn about it,
it's here at the Women in Aviation Conference. Just don't forget
your notebook and pen.