April 21, 2017

Media Advisory – United Airlines-SIU Aviation Career Day

Prospective aviation students will tour Southern Illinois University Carbondale this weekend when a United Airlines A320 Airbus touches down at Southern Illinois Airport just before 9 a.m., Saturday, April 22, for the United Airlines-SIU Aviation Career Day. 

Participating SIU aviation alumni, including United Airlines pilots, dispatchers, mechanics, flight attendants, and others, volunteer for the flight from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. They will accompany nearly 120 Chicago area high school students on the flight. 

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to attend the United Airlines-SIU Aviation Career Day, participate in courtesy flights, and interview students, faculty and alumni. The plane will land at about 8:45 a.m. For more information, contact Michael Burgener, chair of the Department of Aviation Technologies and interim chair of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight at 618/536-3371 or burgener@siu.edu. 

“It’s a great opportunity for high school students from the Chicago area to be introduced to all of possible aviation careers and tour SIU’s aviation program and see what we have to offer,” Burgener said. 

Steven Mayer, a 1991 SIU Carbondale aviation graduate, will captain the flight. He was hired by United Airlines in 1993 and has been a captain since 2001. Kevin Dümmer, an August 2010 graduate, is the flight’s first officer. 

SIU Carbondale is the only university that works with a major airline to fly students to its campus for an aviation career day. This is the 19th year for a collaboration that began in 1994; the program was suspended in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and resumed in 2007. 

The itinerary for the day is:

  • 6:30 a.m. - Check in at Chicago O’Hare International Airport
  • 8 a.m. - Aircraft departs for Southern Illinois Airport
  • 8:45 a.m. - Aircraft arrives at Southern Illinois Airport
  • 9 a.m. - Group photos at base of plane
  • 9:15-10:45 a.m. – Board buses to main campus for walking tour, including stops at Student Center, Saluki Stadium and Student Recreation Center.
  • 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Lunch, provided by SIU at the Transportation Education Center in multipurpose rooms A and B. SIU aviation presentation with United Airlines representatives.
  • 1:45-4 p.m. - Introductory flights in SIU aviation flight aircraft for selected students, along with tours of the university’s aviation facilities
  • 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Re-board aircraft and dinner
  • 5:30 p.m. – Arrive back at Chicago O’Hare International Airport