Connecting, Engaging & Inspiring at the Women in Aviation Conference
By F/O Jolanda Witvliet (United), Chairman, ALPA National Membership Committee, and Kevin Cuddihy, Contributing Writer
Capt. Lisa Mrozek (Delta), left, and F/O Kandy Bernskoetter (FedEx Express), right, prepare to talk with ALPA members, aspiring aviators, industry representatives, and other aviation enthusiasts at the Women in Aviation conference.
Connect. Engage. Inspire. The power of these three words echoed in the ears of attendees at the 26th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference held March 5–7 in Dallas, Tex. ALPA members, male and female, attended the event, which celebrates women in aviation and encourages young women to consider a profession within the industry.
Twenty-six years ago, Women in Aviation International (WAI) held its first conference; about 100 people attended. This year’s event drew more than 4,500 people from all around the aviation industry. Young pilots and future pilots took in leadership seminars; education sessions; airline hiring information sessions; meet-and-greet opportunities with several airlines, including Delta, FedEx Express, JetBlue, Spirit, and United; listened to authors and speakers; and mingled with more than 120 exhibitors: aviation colleges, airlines, corporate flight departments, military services, the FAA, and aviation organizations—including ALPA.
WAI fielded more than $606,000 in scholarships (see “Scholarships and Honorees” below), including some for type ratings. Many social activities such as luncheons, banquets, and meetings of individual organizations—including the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISA+21) and the National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA)—were also held.
And while this effort has been under way for the better part of three decades, with only 5.4 percent of ALPA members female (contrast this with female physicians in the United States, who have an even split with their male counterparts) there’s still a need to reach out to potential female aviators. So what’s a pilot to do? That’s simple: Connect. Engage. Inspire.
The importance of inspiration
Inspiration comes in many forms, from various places, and at different times. It’s the first step on a long journey, but an important step as participants noted. “As a little girl, I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon,” said Capt. Bebe O’Neil (United) of her early inspiration. “It left such an indelible impression on me when they said he was an aerospace engineer, naval aviator, and interested in aviation since childhood.”
Capt. Lisa Mrozek (Delta), among others, cited the influence and inspiration of family. “My parents have always been very inspiring to me,” she said. “My father graduated summa cum laude from medical school at the University of Minnesota and was a very well-regarded physician for many years before he retired. My mother was a homemaker. Both of them were excellent role models for me. Their faith, integrity, and strong moral principles have always been things that inspire me.”
F/O Nathalie Hacken (United) came into aviation by chance during her college years at the Florida Institute of Technology, which included a flight program among its courses of study. “Many of my friends were in flight management,” she explained, “and during our senior year they would take me on time-building trips to grab dinner or a weekend getaway. This is where my passion began.”
Connecting with a mentor
Hacken credited a mentor with getting her involved with WAI. She accepted an internship with Atlantic Southeast in 2003 and started a fruitful relationship with her supervisor. “My boss during the internship took me to a Women in Aviation conference, and I have been going to the conferences ever since,” she commented. “She continued to be a mentor and role model to me long after the internship ended.”
For Hacken and others who have been in the field awhile, the emphasis now is on paying it forward and mentoring the next generation of female pilots. “I find it important to remain active and give back to the aviation community through mentorship and support as my previous mentors did for me,” said Capt. Lindsey Glasow (Compass). “I will be forever grateful for those who encouraged me and hope I can provide the same guidance to others.”
To pay it forward, Hacken is a new-hire mentor for her colleagues, Mrozek is a national Aviation Collegiate Education (ACE) Club mentor, and Glasow mentors for the University of North Dakota ALPA ACE Club.
This year’s conference also included a “Girls in Aviation Day,” during which 192 young women from the local area and their chaperons got an introduction to aviation and some hands-on experience. According to WAI, the event included “girls ages 10 to 17 participating in activities ranging from learning to read a sectional chart to building an airport to crafting wire bracelets.… A career panel gave the girls an overview of the many jobs available in the aviation industry while providing role models for them of women already in these positions. Representatives from colleges and universities with aviation programs were on hand to speak to the older girls.”
Engaging with others
In addition to mentoring, it’s also important to engage with colleagues. Glasow said she continues to take inspiration in part from watching those around her. “I am inspired by women currently in the industry who are well established in their career as pilots,” she acknowledged, “but also serve as volunteers and are mothers all at the same time. These women impress me with their energy, and without knowing it continue to encourage me in my next pursuit in aviation.”
Mrozek explained how engaging with others can advance one’s career. “I was always trying to meet new people,” she said, “and asking my friends and contacts to help me pursue my goal by introducing me to the right people. These people were the ones who were in a position to hire me for a job at the next level.”
Why it all matters
While WAI has made a huge difference over the past 26 years, many pilots recall why there was—and remains—a need for the organization. “My family was unsupportive, and it was difficult to navigate an industry with few mentors and role models,” explained F/O Kandy Bernskoetter (FedEx Express). “I think the industry is different now because of groups like WAI, OBAP [the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals], ALPA’s ACE [Aviation Collegiate Education] Clubs, and airline mentoring programs. It’s easier to find the advice you need.”
ALPA Members Connect At Women in Aviation
Hundreds of ALPA members navigated uncommonly icy weather to gather in Dallas, Tex., March 5–7, for the Annual International Women in Aviation Conference. The event brought together women, men, and young people from all facets of the industry—pilots, airlines, aspiring aviators, government regulators, military personnel, engineers, universities, and others. Under the conference theme of “Connect. Engage. Inspire,” participants took advantage of educational sessions and social networking opportunities to learn new strategies, share experiences, and support each other on their career path and life journey.
Showcasing a new booth garnering rave reviews, volunteers from ALPA’s Education and Membership Committees and staff spoke with countless members, industry professionals, and aspiring aviators about the Association, its resources, and its efforts to safeguard and enhance the airline piloting profession. Highlights from the conference included meet-and-greets with airline employment representatives (many of which were airlines with ALPA-represented pilots), an exhibit hall with more than 120 booths, and more than $600,000 in scholarships. Numerous ALPA members distinguished themselves from a pool of very strong candidates to win some of the coveted scholarships that companies, Women in Aviation International (WAI), and other organizations donated. Congratulations to all!
WAI’s next conference is scheduled for March 10–12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
—Lydia Jakub and Anya Piazza, ALPA Strategic Member Development and Resources
Left to right, Anya Piazza, ALPA staff; Capt. Brian Petricone (Atlantic Southeast); F/O Jolanda Witvliet (United); F/O Erin Parsons (United); and Lydia Jakub, ALPA staff, attend the International Woman in Aviation Conference.
Capt. Lindsey Glasow (Compass), background, and Capt. Lisa Mrozek (Delta), foreground, offer advice to aspiring aviators.
Scholarships and Honorees
Five ALPA members were awarded some of the $606,000 available in scholarships during the Women in Aviation International (WAI) event:
Capt. Laura Assia (Air Wisconsin), who received the Boeing 737 Type Rating Certificate Scholarship; Capts. Leslie Treppa (Envoy Air) and Diana Higbee (Island Air), who both received the Airbus A320 Type Rating Certificate Scholarship; and F/Os Sheila Dill (Envoy Air) and Fatima Shafi (Atlantic Southeast), who both received a Delta Air Lines Boeing B-757/767 Type Rating Certificate Scholarship.
Four women were inducted into the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame during the event:
Pat Blum, co-founder of Corporate Angel Network; Phoebe Omlie, the first woman in the United States to earn a commercial pilot certificate and a pioneering airshow performer; and Deanie and Nancy Parrish, a mother-daughter pair who have preserved and recorded the history of the organization Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
See more photos from the event on ALPA's Flickr page.