Aviation Is A Truly International Pursuit... and Community

One of the conspicuous successes of the last two Women in Aviation International (WAI) conferences has been the growing presence of delegations from other nations. At the 22nd Annual International Women in Aviation Conference In February, 2011, nearly 3,000 attendees came to Reno, Nevada from 21 countries, more than 120 companies and organizations were on the exhibit floor to meet them, and scholarship awards totaled $691,750.

Among the attendees at the 2011 event was Felicia Agubata, Principle Engineer for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. She was part of a significant contingent from her country, where women are finding their places in top roles in the Federal Ministry of Aviation. Felicia was the only African among five women selected for scholarships by the from the Air Navigation Bureau of the International Civil Aviation Organisation in 2010, her second in as many years.

Also the 2007 winner of the Pratt & Whitney scholarship awarded by WAI, she has received training on engine fleet management from P&W at its facility in Hartford, Connecticut. Felicia is a shining example of the opportunities available to women serious about careers in aviation, regardless of where on the globe they live.

In this interview with ANN's Jim Campbell, Felicia says that the 2011 WAI conference in Reno, Nevada, like ICAO in Montreal, is an important networking opportunity. "We are here today to tell people what Women in Aviation is all about, to encourage more women to participate, to tell them what more benefits are available...that is why I am here."

FMI: www.wai.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews