Have you heard of a group called Women in Aviation International, known as WAI?  Not yet?  Well in America, they are a tremendous organisation, created in 1990, with over 14,000 members, major interest and sponsorship from leading aviation companies in the US and annual conferences offering you the chance to advance your career significantly in the space of a weekend.  We hope to create the same volume of support over here in Britain, but we need your help. 

Interest in the group this side of the Atlantic has resulted in a number of females in British aviation getting together to create their own branch of the WAI, called the Southern England Chapter.  We hope that if our Chapter proves successful, more groups will start all over Britain, in exactly the same way as has happened in the US, with Chapters meeting regularly to support, learn from and teach each other.  The aim of WAI is to enhance and advance the careers of all different kinds of women in aviation.  Whether you are in management, instruction, commercial or corporate flying, engineering, ATC or just enjoy flying at the weekends, you are welcome to join us and meet other people like you.  This doesn't mean you have to be a woman either, with a large number of members being males who support females in aviation.   

We decided that the best way to demonstrate what we offer and aim to achieve in the future was to hold a conference, giving an opportunity for us all to meet, talk and learn from each other in a professional, friendly and educational way.  This event will be open to current members and non-members alike, and features speakers o­n the topic of 'Dealing with the unexpected'; something that we all have to face at some point in our aviation careers.  Please see the poster attached for more information o­n our speakers. 

So it is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend our first conference o­n the 21st November 2009.  It will be held at the Hilton in Gatwick, and be over the course of the afternoon, with the opportunity to stay late to have a drink or dine with your fellow delegates afterwards and into the night, if you so wish.  If you are interested in attending or know someone who might like to attend, please invite them to contact us at this address for more information:  waisouthernenglandchapter@yahoo.co.uk and we will send more details about the day, and instructions o­n how to confirm a place. 

If you are interested in learning more about WAI first, then please visit the website at www.wai.org.  If you then think you would like to become a member, but would like to wait and see what is o­n offer at the conference first, we can guide you through the membership application process o­n-line o­n the day.  Alternatively, you may have other commitments o­n the 21st November, but if you are still interested in our group, then please contact the email above with your details and we will add you to the mailing list for future events.   

We are looking forward to seeing you soon. 

Kind regards,

The Committee

Southern England Chapter

Women in Aviation International