By Roza Panos

On March 1, three aviation students attended a conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida to represent the aviation program at QU.

Women in Aviation International is an organization dedicated to the advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests.

Krystal Felderman, QU senior, has been part of the aviation program for four years and got into flying through her great uncle, who was a World War II pilot.

“Through the years my dad would tell me stories about him and I started to love aviation,” Felderman said.

Felderman is currently working to be certified so she can teach others how to fly. She is also a commercial pilot, which means she can fly by herself, she is instrument rated (flying through clouds without visual reference to the ground).

The farthest she has flown is to Fredericksburg, Virginia and Fairhope, Alabama. Felderman believes the conference was a great opportunity to network, find job opportunities and is a great way to promote Quincy’s aviation program.

The QU’s aviation program is made up of about 26 aviators. Only three of them are females. Despite the low quantity of females, Kimberly Bukowski, a freshman, says that QU’s program is the best one she’s experienced. She was able to compete against other collegiate schools in the region and participated in the Great River Aviation Poker Run last semester.

“I was blessed enough to be a part of QU’s flight team. I am given more attention by my ground and flight instructors,” Bukowski said.

She has completed three solo flights. Talyor Wade, a freshman, also feels that the conference was a good experience because she got to meet other women who were in aviation and attended different seminars to hear about different careers in aviation.

“It was a very good experience. I got to talk to different pilots and air traffic controllers, and found a mentor to help me if I want to pursue a career in air traffic control,” Wade said.

Wade also says that it was an event that she would definitely attend again. The three students felt that everyone there was willing to help and say they are blessed with the opportunity of talking to aviation companies directly and learn more about the corporate aviation and the career opportunities.