May 11, 2017

Here’s How ALPA Surprised Students at an Aviation Competition

This year, students at the 2017 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) at Ohio State University got a unique treat thanks to the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l—a tour of an ExpressJet ERJ 145 as part of a special fly-in by ALPA national resource coordinator Capt. Paul Ryder (ExpressJet) and executive vice president F/O Karen Lacy (ExpressJet). 

"It's great to have a relationship with an airline like ExpressJet where they support outreach and promoting the profession and allow us to do this," said Ryder. 

It's no secret that ALPA is a strong advocate of safety and aviation education. Our Education Committee volunteers once again offered their support to nearly 400 students at NIFA SAFECON 2017. The annual event brings together collegiate aviation teams from around the country to compete in flight and ground events such as navigation, computer accuracy, and preflight inspection. 

As ALPA's first female executive vice president, Lacy was grateful for the opportunity to speak with students in person. "I am happy to be doing this," she said. "I know what's it's like to be interested in aviation. If you have that passion, follow it because you won't regret it."

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