October 17, 2007
Aviation career fair, banquet set for Oct. 26
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The 13th career fair is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, in the Student Center Ballrooms A, B, and C. The banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. in Ballroom D.
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Media Advisory
Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend the career fair and banquet. For more information, contact David A. NewMyer at 618/453-8898
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Pelton oversees the world's leading manufacturer of general aviation aircraft. According to the Wichita, Kan,-based company, 190,000 Cessna airplanes — from single-engine aircraft to business jets — have been delivered worldwide since the company's start in 1927. More than half of the general aviation aircraft flying today are Cessna's, according to the company.
There are 36 Cessna aircraft in SIUC's nationally recognized aviation program's flight training fleet.
"This is a great opportunity to have him here to show off what we do with his aircraft, and it will be great to have him here to talk a little about what Cessna products are coming up in the next few years," said David A. NewMyer, chair of the University's Department of Aviation Management and Flight.
"I've been flying airplanes almost longer than I can remember, and aviation is my passion," Pelton said. "So I'm looking forward to spending time with a group that shares my passion. I plan to pass along my perspective on the future of the industry from both a pilot's and a general aviation manufacturer's viewpoint. Now is a great time to be in the aviation industry."
Eleven scholarships totaling an estimated $25,000 will be presented to aviation students at the banquet.
NewMyer anticipates as many as 250 to 300 people will attend the banquet. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for SIUC students. Tickets are available by calling the Department of Aviation Management and Flight at 618/453-8898, or at the aviation flight dispatch counter at Southern Illinois Airport, between Carbondale and Murphysboro.
The career fair earlier in the day is expected to attract between 30 and 35 companies, including regional airlines, NewMyer said. Career fair participants include Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Wood Dale-based AAR Corp., Landrum & Brown, Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., ExpressJet, and Gulfstream Training Academy.
"The career fair is a career-development exercise for underclassmen and for seniors, it is a job search," NewMyer said. "It's great for underclassmen to get the experience of talking with company representatives, and for seniors, it gives them a chance to talk with potential employers."
NewMyer emphasizes aviation-related career options involve more than flying planes. There are 2.1 million jobs in aviation, and 9 percent of the nation's gross domestic product is aviation-related.
The Department of Aviation Management and Flight and the Department of Aviation Technologies are in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Caption:
Flying high into SIUC — Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cessna Aircraft Co., will deliver the keynote address at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's 2007 "Aviation in the Future" Career Fair and banquet, Friday, Oct. 26. The banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. in SIUC Student Center Ballroom D.
Photo provided