CWIA Update - 3 Dec 2006 - Happy Holiday Parties! 3 Weeks 'til Christmas! Is anyone actually ready for it, or are we all in mid-panic together?! How about FLORIDA in February? Women in Aviation International is pleased to announce the 18th Annual Women in Aviation International Conference will be in Orlando, Florida from February 15th - February 17th, 2007. The chosen venue is Disney's Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center, just 18 miles west of the Orlando International Airport. Air Canada, WestJet, United and Northwest all serve the Orlando International Airport from Winnipeg. If you're heading down there, and get a good seat sale, or hotel deal, or even if you're looking for a roommate, let us know and we'll pass the info on to other Canadians heading the to Conference. Lots of details, hotel info, etc on www.wai.org Or maybe VICTORIA in June? All of us Canadians are getting together, military and civilian, in Victoria June 7 -9, 2007 for a terrific conference. Keep checking the www.cwia.ca website under the Conferences page for details as they come up. Looking forward to it! WHAT'S WITH THIS WEATHER? 17 Degrees Celcius in Halifax? Torontonians sitting outdoors at sidewalk cafes sipping mocha frappucinos earlier this week? Where do they think they are, Vancouver?!? But wait, what's happening in Lotus-Land north? Yes it's true, Vancouver has had actual snow! And it's been on the ground for a whole week now - that's a record! Centimetres of the white stuff fell, and it was a shock to everyone, putting a serious dent in our winter flower bloom count. The winter bird popluation in Vancouver is confused, wondering if they flew north instead of south last month! I thought it important to share some informative news reports that I have been compiling recently on this regional crisis, so that all Canadians can understand the plight facing your hardy west-coast country men/women: Chilled Vancouver commuters faced their 6th day of winter hell today, as an additional centimetre of the peculiar white stuff fell, bringing the lower mainland to its knees and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to the marijuana crops. Scientists suspect that the substance is some form of frozen water particles and experts from Manitoba are being flown in. With temperatures dipping to the almost but not quite near zero mark, Vancouverites were warned to double insulate their lattes before venturing out. Vancouver police recommended that people stay inside except for emergencies, such as running out of espresso or biscotti, to see them through Vancouver's most terrible storm to date. The local Canadian Tire reported that they had completely sold out of fur-lined sandals. Drivers were cautioned to put their convertible tops up, and several have been shocked to learn that their SUV's actually have four wheel drive, although most have no idea how to use it. Below is an outline of the beginning of this frightening time in Vancouver. Chronology of the Snow crisis, Vancouver style. * 5:35 pm. Environment Canada predicts two to five centimetres of snow will fall on Vancouver within a 24-hour period. Local well-known weather man Phil Reimer reads the forecast on-air, turns white and faints. * 5:40 pm. Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan issues immediate appeal for federal assistance. Prime Minister Steven Harper promises to send in the army. * 6:15 pm. It turns out B.C.'s last army base, CFB Chilliwack, was closed in 1998, by the Liberal Government. Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggests a call to Quebec advertising agencies to purchase snow blowers, 'since that's where the Liberals spent all our money anyway.' * 8:45 pm. Vancouverites begin queuing at tire stores, leaving vehicles in line overnight to be first served in morning. * 5:22 am. Temperature plunges. Word spreads that a west side resident found ice on the windshield of his BMW convertible. Curious neighbours gathered to watch him scrape it off with a credit card. One motorist, a former Alberta oil man, claims use of mysterious 'defrost' switch on dashboard can aid in process. * 8:15 am. Terrified downtown skateboarders lose toques to menacing mob of balding, middle-aged men. 'We tried to run,' they say, 'but our stupid baggy pants made us fall down.' * 9:30 am. Hardware stores sell both of the snow shovels. Residents begin cobbling together implements made from kayak paddles, umbrellas, cookie sheets and boogie boards. * 10:00 am. Golfers switch to orange balls. Stanley Park cricket players, anxious not to repeat the ugly 'snow-blower incident' of the Blizzard of '96, switch to orange uniforms. * 12:00 Noon. Word of impending West Coast snowfall tops newscasts across Canada. Saskatoon hospitals report epidemic of sprained wrists related to viewers “high-fiving” one another. * 1:20 pm. Elementary schools call in grief counselors. Grief counselors refuse to go, citing lack of snow tires. * 2:30 pm. Rush hour begins an hour early as office workers come down with mysterious illnesses and bolt for home. Usual traffic snarl is compounded by large number of four-wheel-drives abandoned by side of road. Hospitals report a large influx of patients arriving in emergency clenching their steering wheels, unable to release their grip. * 2:50 pm. Airplanes grounded, highways closed, and ferries docked. No way to travel between Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland, or Lower Mainland and rest of the world. Vancouver Sun headline: Southwestern BC Separated from Rest of Canada. Quebecers begin chant of “Moi Aussi”. * 3:10 pm. At behest of Provincial Emergency Program, authorities begin adding Prozac to drinking water. * 3:50 pm. Fears of food shortage lead to alarming scenes of violence and looting. Grocery shoppers riot across the city, except in Shaugnessy in the tony west side of Vancouver, where residents hire caterers to do the rioting for them. * 4:30 pm. Bracing for the arrival of snow, the city is gripped by an eerie stillness reminiscent of London on the eve of a WWII invasion. Searchlights comb darkening sky for first sign of precipitation. * 5:30 pm. Phil Reimer, shaking uncontrollably, tells viewers that snow warning has been extended. This weather pattern could go on for days. Mercury plummets to Calgary-in-August levels. Martial law is declared. Lower Mainland politicians announce plans to establish emergency command centre in Oahu. * 5:50 pm. Prime Minister Harper announces Canada's DART rapid response team can be on the ground within six months. 'We can't leave Vancouver to deal with 225 centimetres of snow on its own,' he tells Mayor Sullivan. 'Um, that's two-to-five centimetres, not two-two-five,' replies the mayor. The prime minister hangs up. MEMBER UPDATE & POTENTIAL JOB AVAILABLE This from Darlene Sly out of the Upper Canada Chapter: 'Hi there! I hope everyone is doing well back in Canada! I'm still in the Caribbean flying Twin Otters. We are currently hiring like mad down here for Twin Otter Co-Pilots if anyone is interested! Thought I'd pass the word on! All the best! Darlene Sly' Thanks for the update Darlene. Darlene works at Winair and is based on the dutch side of St. Maarten. Also - Lisa Graham has finished her ground school at Air Canada, and will be on a First Officer on Embraers based in Toronto! Lucky thing for the Toronto chapter that is so luck to have her as their President! Congrats Lisa! Good News from Winnipeg: Darlene Dick had her first solo! Julie Bouchard-Roussin is now left seat on the King Air with Fast Air. Allyson Brown has gone left seat on the Navajo for Keystone. Sara Norris has made the move from Calm Air to West Jet. Katie Childerhose has also accepted a First Officer position at WestJet. Congrats to all! A380 STOPS OVER IN YVR The only stop in 'the Americas' during it's multiple around-the-world' proving flights, Airbus's big bird came to YVR earlier this week, and there are lots of pics available of the aircraft up close. If you're interested, email back and I can send you some. AVIATION SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE STILL AVAILABLE Still Time to Apply for Several Late Deadline Scholarships! Don't miss your opportunity to apply for several last minute scholarships! Even if you have already applied for 2 other scholarships you may apply for these as well. Before submitting your application, please read the instructions called 'Late Deadline Scholarship Application Guidelines'. They are accessible from the WAI Scholarship homepage under the Links page on our website. All scholarship applications must be received by December 21, 2006. If you have any questions please contact Rosemary Emhoff at remhoff@wai.org. Featured scholarships include: Pratt & Whitney Maintenance Scholarships Pratt & Whitney will award six maintenance scholarships to individuals pursuing careers in aviation maintenance. Winners will have the option to attend any one of the maintenance courses offered by Pratt & Whitney or Pratt & Whitney Canada, such as System Familiarization, Line & Base Maintenance, and Borescope Inspection Procedures on JT8D, JT9D, PW2000, PW4000, PT6, or PW100 engines. Housing is also included for the duration of training. (Scholarship value $800 - $3,200 depending on course taken) FlightSafety International Corporate Flight Attendant Award FlightSafety International (FSI) will issue one Certificate of Award Scholarship to the successful applicant whose goal is to become a flight attendant in General Aviation, or an applicant who wishes to enhance their skills and marketability as a Corporate Flight Attendant. FSI will honor the Certificate of Award Scholarship at any FSI training facility that offers a Flight Attendant training program and will cover tuition for FSI's Initial Flight Attendant Training. Minimum requirements of the successful applicant include being at least 18 years of age and a high school graduate. In addition to WAI's requirements please submit a two hundred and fifty (250) word essay describing: - As a Corporate Flight Attendant what contribution will you make to General Aviation? - What are your plans both short term and up to two years? Additional scholarships include (visit www.wai.org for complete descriptions): Aircraft Electronics Association Aviation Maintenance Scholarship (Scholarship value $1,500) Corporate Flight Attendant Training by Susan C. Friedenberg Scholarship (Scholarship value $2,150) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Scholarship (value to be determined) 2007 AIRLINE STAFF YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM! Received this email from the program director Camille Wheeler, about this program. Sounds interesting! Based in the USA, but I assume Canadian airline staff could apply for their children. 'Now in it's 12th year of matching airline families & friends with other families world-wide. The International Youth Exchange Program for Families of Airline Employees (IYE) is currently accepting applications for world-wide, two week exchanges for airline employee family members. Youth, ages 14 - 18 years of age are matched with youth their own age. Each youth hosts in their home for a time period of two weeks. The youth are together at both homes. Coordinated by a retired airline employee, IYE has facilitated over 900 exchanges for airline youth since it began in 1994. Costs for the exchange: - an airline pass - spending money - application fee of $225 (refundable if no match is found) For an application form or more information please email: Camille Wheeler at: cwhee23773@aol.com or contact: IYE, PO Box 211065, St. Paul, MN 55121-2465, USA' CHAPTER EVENTS There are LOTS this week! Email your chapter if they're not listed here. EDMONTON - POLARIS CHAPTER Christmas Party! This year's potluck Christmas party will be Trina's place. Please RSVP to ldenis@telusplanet.net and we'll be sending directions shortly - bring out a friend to meet everyone! DATE: Saturday December 16th, 2006 TIME: 17:00 hrs Let us know what you want to bring, and we'll see you there. VANCOUVER It's a 'real' Christmas in Vancouver this time! Come out to Vancouver Chapter's Christmas Party/Social/Potluck/Crafts night! EVERYONE welcome! Like last year, this is a great fun night for you to bring an aviation friend so we can all meet and chat in a casual, relaxed setting (there will be food and music!). DATE: this Friday, December 8th, 2006 TIME: 5pm until 8 or 9ish. We'll start early so you can head there right after work, and we can start learning how to do a centrepiece from our talented member Angie Kovats (nee Haywood). BRING: 2 things! CRAFTY STUFF: Angie requests you bring anything you may have salvaged from your from Christmas centrepiece you made last year that you can find, or any decorations you'd like to put in this year to a centrepiece. No - it doesn't take talent or experience! Angie will show us all how it's done (I actully made a good one last year! Even for those of us 'artistically - challenged', it can be done! Then at your Christmas party, you can say '...oh, that lovely centrepiece? Yes, I made it.......'!) FOOD: It's a potluck, so bring something you like to eat & drink. So far we have a veggie tray, pita chips and hummus, baquettes with smoke salmon cream cheese. I've got a hot plate I'll bring, but email if you need me to round-up a toaster oven if you have hot food. PLACE: BCIT Sea Island Campus - we've got that same room we had last year that worked perfectly. Up the stairs, left at the top, then another left down to the end of that hall. See you there! OTTAWA CHAPTER Next Meeting DATE & TIME: Thursday December 7 at 7:00 pm Canada Aviation Museum boardroom 11 Aviation Parkway We are holding a planning session to discuss future meetings and events. Anyone interested in learning more about our organization is welcome. Following the meeting we will go out for drinks or dinner to celebrate the season! If you have any questions, please email us at cwia_yow@yahoo.ca TORONTO HOLIDAY SOCIAL DATE: this Wednesday December 6 TIME: 6:30 pm Milestones at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (Hwy 401 at Allen Expressway) Let's meet for some holiday cheer. Bring your family or friends and join us for dinner and conversation. We will announce the winner of a one year Women in Aviation membership for this years membership rewards program. Please rsvp to cwiayyz@hotmail.com so we know how many people are attending. WINNIPEG It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Please RSVP if you can come to the Potluck: DATE: Wednesday, December 6 TIME: 7pm PLACE: Stacie's house. Please send an email to cwiaywg@hotmail.com to RSVP with your food contribution for the potluck. Stacie's house if at the far west end of the city near the race track. Go west on Portage Ave. to Buchanan, turn right (Robin's Donuts on the corner). Go almost to the end of Buchanan and turn left onto Risby Cres., then your first left onto Russenholt. Her house is #19, on the left side with blue Christmas lights. Her phone number is 895-3916 if you have any questions. JANUARY - We are planning a tour of Bristol Aero for our January get-together. Time and date are pending; we'll let you know more when we do. FEBRUARY - Wednesday Feb 7 - Back by popular demand! IFR refresher at Shell AeroCentre, 30 Hangarline Road Canadian Propeller has graciously offered to sponsor our chapter to make up a PR banner. We will be looking for timeless pictures and ideas to put on it. Send your ideas to cwiaywg@hotmail.com Thank you so much! QUOTE to live by: 'Every man dies. Not every man really lives.' ~ Braveheart Happy Holidays from your Chapter (and prospective chapter) Presidents, Teara Fraser in Vancouver (#14156) Katie Childerhose in Winnipeg (#9160) Michelle Bentzen in Calgary (#6037) Lisa Graham in Toronto (#8030) Lianne Boileau in Ottawa-Gatineau (#10827) as well as Newly Forming Prospective Chapters: Laura Denis in Edmonton (#16016) Toni Duguay (#14386) in Montreal ~ If you ever wish to not receive these emails again, please let us know and we can take you off the list no problemo! ~ What's your chapter up to? Find out at www.cwia.ca ~ Haven't joined WAI yet? Do so online at www.wai.org and mention your chapter and your chapter president's name and number above.