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.

FMI: www.wai.org