Updates From The School of Aviation

Auburn's Chapter of Women in Aviation hosted their annual "Girls in Aviation Day."

The Auburn University Regional Airport saw some big airlines and lots of smiling faces on September 23, 2023, during Girls in Aviation Day. This year, Propel by Delta, United Aviate, and Boeing all sponsored the event, aimed at exposing the field of aviation to all members of the Auburn/Opelika community. The goal was to inspire passion, exploration, learning, and a love for aviation in children of all ages. We want to thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, and those who attended the event.

Endeavor Air brought a CRJ-900, and GoJet brought a CRJ-550 to the event. Showing our students and local children what their "office" could look like one day is always great. Other companies, such as Republic Airways, were in attendance to talk to attendees and give away fun items.

Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing networking, education, mentoring, and scholarships for students pursuing careers in aviation. The War Eagle Chapter of Women in Aviation International works hard to further the mission of the International chapter through the various professional development opportunities we offer for members. The War Eagle Chapter of WAI also places a special emphasis on outreach and community service within the Auburn community, as we provide our members volunteering opportunities with organizations like the Auburn University Campus Kitchen, the East Alabama Food Bank, and Habitat for Humanity. 

"Girls in Aviation Day hosted by Women in Aviation was just a few weeks ago, and it was a wonderful event for children of all ages in the area to be introduced to the world of aviation. We had two CRJ regional jets as well as two helicopters on the Auburn Regional Airport ramp. We also had educational stations for the kids to do crafts and activities all relating to aviation. We would love to thank our sponsors, Propel by Delta, United Aviate, and Boeing for their generosity towards our organization."

-Chloe Millsapps

President, WAI War Eagle Chapter

Thank you to all who attended our Fall Aviation Career Fair.

September is always exciting, because we welcome various alumni and aviation professionals to Auburn for our career fairs! We hosted the fall career fair at a new location on campus in the Brown-Kopel Engineering Building. This location provided a larger space and a convenient location for our students in the heart of Auburn's campus.

"Thank you to all of our returning alumni and new recruiters we had the privilege of hosting! With over 300 first-year aviation students on campus this year, this event opened many students' eyes to the various opportunities available after graduation"



- Daphne Walker

Engagement Coordinator

The fall career fair was our largest to date. We are pleased to have hosted 23 companies and over 400 students. Employers represented most legacy airlines, regional airlines, 121/135 operators, and corporate companies. For students interested in the business and management side of the aviation industry, we have our annual Business in Aviation Days from November 13-15, 2023. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success!

It's been a busy fall semester, and more to come!

The School of Aviation has had a phenomenal first half of the fall semester. We kicked off the year with our Welcome Back Lunch hosted in the maintenance hangar of the Delta Air Lines Aviation Education Building. This was a great way for first-year and returning students to meet and grab a free meal during "welcome week." We also had various regional airlines in attendance to network with students and share information on their respective career pathway programs.

September quickly followed, and everyone knows this as the start of Auburn's football season! Every year before the kickoff of the Homecoming game, the War Eagle Flying Team hosts the Alumni Tailgate on the lawn of Cary Hall. WEFT grilled hamburgers to raise money for their upcoming NIFA Regional Competition held in late October. The team has selected their roster, and they've been diligently preparing to compete against other teams in Region IX.

United Aviate and GoJet also brought a CRJ-550 to share with our students. They hosted a catered dinner on the Delta Air Lines Aviation Education Building ramp and allowed students to explore inside the aircraft. This was the first time a United-tailed aircraft has landed at KAUO, and we are very thankful for this experience.

As we look to the rest of the semester, we eagerly anticipate Auburn Business Aviation Days. Please reference our upcoming events section at the end of the NOTAAM for all of our events for the rest of this semester.

Faculty Highlight: Carl Thompson

Captain Carl Thompson started his aviation career here in Auburn in 1971. He received his pilots license through the Aviation Management Program at Auburn University. He never imagined it'd grow to the size we are today, or that he'd later return to run the simulator program. After graduation, Captain Thompson went into the Air Force and flew KC-135's in the USAF and the Air National Guard.

While being in the Guard, Carl started his 26- year career with Delta Air Lines, where he safely transported hundreds of thousands of passengers to their destinations. During his time at Delta, Carl flew numerous aircraft. He started his time at Delta as a flight engineer and later first officer on the 727, DC-8, and L-1011. He spent most of his career as a captain and senior flight instructor on the 737 before retiring as a captain on the 757/767.

After retiring from Delta in 2004, Carl spent time golfing and fishing on Lake Martin, but missed the world of aviation and knew he wanted to do something more productive with his time. He decided to start volunteering with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Auburn in 2006, where he taught aviation classes. Because of his experience with OLLI, the College of Business offered Carl the opportunity to teach in the Aviation Management Program. He accepted without hesitation. Carl has seen the program grow through the years, and he has been instrumental in preparing our students for success in the aviation industry. Captain Thompson played a crucial part in getting an Airbus 320 flight simulator to elevate Auburn's School of Aviation to one of the top aviation schools in the United States.

Currently, Carl is the senior instructor for the School of Aviation's AVMF 4320 course. This course focuses on crew resource management on the fight deck, and we utilize our Airbus A320 simulator. The class is composed of two days of ground school during the week, followed by a block in the simulator. Captain Thompson is able to share his wealth of knowledge and personal experience from his time as an airline pilot to our students, providing valuable, real-world experience for our students before they depart Auburn to start their careers. Carl and the other instructors for this course also actively recruit current airline pilots to come speak and give their experiences to students.

We would like to thank Carl for his 10+ years of dedication to Auburn University, the School of Aviation, and the thousands of students that have come through our program. War Eagle!