Amid a clampdown on travel related to Covid-19 precautions, the 31st Annual International Women in Aviation Conference remained a strong draw with a record 4,500 professionals and students from 31 countries attending the three-day event held March 5 to 7 in Orlando, Florida. More than 180 companies and organizations were on-site in a sold-out exhibit hall that had very few cancellations.
Exhibitors ranged from numerous airlines, many of which held recruiting sessions, to private aviation operations such as Walmart that showed up to not only support Women in Aviation but also to educate attendees about business aviation. Uber returned for a second time with a larger presence to share its vision for Urban Air Mobility. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps was on hand to recruit individuals for its varied missions, including hurricane hunting.
True to past form, WAI remained a key recruitment venue, not only with sessions and exhibits but also with scholarships. This year, WAI announced 151 scholarships valued at $831,365 at its conference, bringing the total amount awarded since 1995 to more than $13 million.
“Workforce development is the cornerstone to the future of WAI,” said new WAI CEO Allison McKay, who in February became only the second person to lead the 25-year-old organization and was formally introduced to the WAI community during the conference. “The scholarship program that we currently have is probably one of the greatest assets to the industry…I only see it growing from here. The sky’s the limit.”
Recognizing the importance of energizing young girls in the industry’s attempt to increase a more diverse workforce, WAI held a Girls in Aviation Day on site with nearly two dozen activities encompassing the gamut of the aviation and aerospace, as well as a college fair.
Meanwhile, the annual conference highlighted leading women in aviation and aerospace with JetSuite president Stephanie Chung, the first African American woman to lead a private aviation company, challenging attendees to “change the narrative,” while Eileen Collins, the first female space shuttle pilot, provided insight to flight in space. Other key speakers, all of whom brought inspirational and motivational messages, included Boeing Global Services v-p and chief engineer Joan Robinson-Berry, Maj. Gen. Jeannine Leavitt, U.S. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, and combat helicopter pilot Amber Smith.
WAI hosted a membership meeting, naming Cape Air president Linda Markham WAI board chair. WAI also inducted the next slate into its International Pioneer Hall of Fame, including Leavitt, who was the first U.S. Air Force female fighter pilot and currently commander of the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service; airshow legend and WAI volunteer Patty Wagner; and the U.S. Army’s First Women Rotary Wing Aviators.
The 32nd Annual International Women in Aviation Conference will be held March 11 to 13, 2021, in Reno, Nevada.
