2015 Flying Magazine Aviation Expo
- Details
- Published: October 29, 2015
Earlier this month, PASS Region III Vice President Joan Matthiesen along with fellow PASS members Patrick Peterson, Guido Hassig, Ranelle Yazzie, Sebastian Henao and PASS National Organizer James Renaldi had the opportunity to represent PASS at the 2015 Flying Magazine Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California. The event granted PASS a unique platform to interact with pilots and aviation enthusiasts from all over the country, as well as the chance to learn from and educate one another. With upwards of 7,000 total attendees, the event bolstered interest in the aviation industry while simultaneously providing PASS members from various regions the chance to increase solidarity through thiscollaborative effort.
Spanning the course of three days, the Expo consisted of social events, hands-on demonstrations and seminars. Hassig, a member of Chapter NE3 and PASS regional business agent for the Eastern region, presented two seminars focused on providing the tools, skills and knowledge needed to operate aircraft safely. Hassig thought the event was definitely worthwhile. “It was a great opportunity to interact with general aviation pilots in the industry. I think it was a valuable experience to get their feedback and increase their understanding of the role that Tech Ops employees and Flight Standards employees play,” Hassig said. “It was a meaningful exchange of information and all parties benefited from the experience. I would strongly encourage PASS to continue this practice of participating in aviation events and enhancing the interaction and exchange of information between FAA employees and the general aviation industry.”
Peterson, Chapter NV3, also weighed in with his thoughts about his experience at the Expo, specifically honing in on talks amongst industry professionals regarding privatization. “Being that this was more of an industry event, the average attendee was either an industry professional and/or pilot. Because the audience was made up of the flying public, we were able to use our own personal and professional industry experiences to form a bond with the listener, allowing a serious conversation about who PASS represents, what we do and, more importantly, drive home our message against privatization," he said. "Surprisingly, the overwhelming consensus of the flying public was staunchly against the privatization of the FAA in any way, shape or form. We were indeed among friends.”
During their time at the event, PASS members actively engaged about 20 attendees per hour and, by the end of the event, had distributed over 300 koozies and “No Privatization” buttons. “It was about stopping people to have a conversation," Peterson shared. "Even if it was only a minute of their time, we were able to engage with the public and educate them about what’s going on around them.”
“The Aviation Expo in Palm Springs was a great success,” said Matthiesen. “We had the opportunity to talk to a lot of pilots and aviation professionals about PASS and privatization. Thankfully, they were very supportive of our position. We also heard some great feedback on Guido's presentations. Thank you to all members who played a part, and a special thank you to President Sean Frost and the entire Chapter CA3 for funding the travel and providing shirts for the event.”
At the end of the Expo, PASS members unanimously agreed that the event was a positive opportunity for PASS to share what members do every day to keep the flying public safe. For more on the Expo and information on Hassig’s presentation, please click here. For more pictures from the event, check out PASS’s Facebook page.