ALPA Education Committee chairman Capt. Dave Ryter (EGL) and Capt. George Burnette (DAL) attended the first meeting of the University of North Dakota’s ALPA ACE Club this month along with the club’s student president Kou Omori and other club officers and members.

The ALPA ACE Club is a student-led organization whose purpose is to promote an attitude of professionalism and a culture of safety among future airline pilots. The Education Committee strives to bring the industry to the students through monthly presentations on various student-selected aviation topics. The first meeting included an overview of the ACE Club’s organization followed by questions and answers on a variety of industry-related subjects.

The first Education Committee presentation to the UND ACE Club was held on March 21. Nearly 40 students gathered for the meeting to hear the pilot representatives discuss, “A Day in the Life of an Airline Pilot.” The topic was presented to the students by F/Os Larry Deist, Shannon O’Neal, Pete Strople (all DAL), Capt. Mark Nagel (PCL) and F/O Jann Waldhauser (CAL).

There is also an ALPA ACE Club at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Fla., in its second year.

The 23rd annual Women in Aviation Conference was held in Dallas, Tex., March 8-10. Five female pilot volunteers from major and regional ALPA carriers staffed the ALPA Education Committee booth. The booth displayed the Cleared to Dream website on a monitor for viewing, while attendees received ALPA literature from pilots like Capt. Jackie Doherty (ASA). Nearly a dozen ALPA carriers were represented at the conference.

In addition to the exhibit hall, Women in Aviation members attended seminars, workshops, and took advantage of networking and mentoring opportunities.

Each year, companies announce their recipients for training scholarships and type ratings at this special event. Next year’s conference will be held in Nashville, Tenn.