Capt. Ryan Morris and F/O Dan Peltzman ready to give a tour of their office to ERAU students.
The air shimmered with excitement on October 2, as more than 200 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students and alumni spoke with ALPA pilots and toured a CommutAir ERJ 145 in Prescott, Ariz. The event, hosted by the ALPA ACE Club, was one of many ALPA outreach efforts held during the campus’ Homecoming week celebration, OctoberWest.
“This aircraft is a tangible link to the future for these students, and we wanted to provide them with that extra bit of motivation to continue working toward their career goals,” said ALPA Education Committee volunteer F/O Dan Peltzman (CommutAir), who graduated from Embry-Riddle Daytona in 2017.
Bringing an aircraft to campus was no small feat. The effort, led by F/O Peltzman and ALPA ACE Club co-president Tess Osborne, took a lot of hard work, planning, and coordination as well as support from the CommutAir ALPA Master Executive Council and airline management.
“Being able to explore this aircraft and talk with pilots is exciting and helps bridge that gap between the university and industry by giving us a glimpse of what we’re working toward,” said Osborne.
The aircraft was flown in by Capt. Ryan Morris and F/O Peltzman. On the ground, they were supported by a team of CommutAir staff to introduce students to the airline and help answer questions about the airline’s operations.
F/O Stephen Rocha (Delta), who leads ALPA’s outreach at the university, also participated in the event along with F/Os Scott Singleton (United) and Roland Vera (FedEx Express).
Earlier in the week, the ALPA ACE Club hosted a “Meet the Airlines” event for students to build their confidence and speak with airline recruiters in a casual setting prior to the career expo. Nearly 80 students attended this event. The following day, the ALPA ACE Club staffed a booth at the career expo to review students’ resumés, provide networking tips, and facilitate interactions between students and the airlines present.
ALPA’s efforts at OctoberWest inspired students to continue working toward their goal of becoming professional airline pilots and provided new insight and resources to prepare them for a rewarding career.
ALPA pilots looking for more information or to get involved should contact Education@alpa.org. Aspiring aviators should check our website, Cleared to Dream, for information and resources.
