An airport-wide aviation career fair that drew some 45 exhibitors and close to 1,500 middle- and high- school students over a two-day period started with an idea from a corporate flight department employee simply to hold an open house in its hangar to familiarize young people with business aviation. Senior members of that flight department–IBM–picked up the ball and, with the assistance of the Westchester Aviation Association (WAA) and many others, organized the inaugural Aviation Career Fair. The event, which is planned to be annual, was held September 27 and 28 at the Vivendi Universal hangar and ramp at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y.
Chaired by IBM director of flight operations Jeff Lee, who is also a member of the NBAA board of directors, the fair was made possible by the combined effort of airport tenants and officials, WAA, the Civil Air Patrol, exhibitors and the more than 190 on-site volunteers who helped students and teachers get the most out of the event. In addition to IBM, key corporate sponsors included Gulfstream Aerospace, Verizon, Vivendi Universal, Kraft Foods, Pepsico, FlightSafety International, Cessna Aircraft, Dassault Falcon Jet and Embraer.
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