What to know as WAI kicks off 35th annual conference

The 35th-annual Women in Aviation International Conference takes place this week in Orlando, on March 21-23. Among the highlights ahead of this year's WAI event include ticketed tours of the Kennedy Space Center, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and NOAA. The opening day will feature workshops and mentorship sessions, as well as an exhibit hall and various receptions. On Saturday, Girls in Aviation Day Orlando will take place. Girls ages 8-18 will be introduced to the career and lifestyle possibilities available in aviation, featuring luncheon keynote speaker Nicole Battjes, founder of Rainbow Helicopters. Other Keynote speakers at WAI include: Erica Brand, Google Research's Applied Science Division Head of Strategy andamp; Operations Former FAA Air Traffic Organization COO Teri Bristol Dr. Patty Chang-Chien, Boeing Research andamp; Technology Vice President and General Manager Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, aviation operations director for NOAA NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy Geoscientist and Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor The event wraps up with its Pioneer Hall of Fame and Celebration Dinner.This year's inductees include Katherine Johnson, a legendary mathematician for NASA who was a key contributor to the Space Race in the 1960s; the USAF Undergraduate Navigator Class 78-01, who were among the first members of an Air Force test program for women pilots and navigators; and the US Army Air Forces flight nurses of World War II. RELATED STORY: WAI names 2024 Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees During last year's conference in Long Beach, California, WAI hosted more than 4,500 attendees, along with nearly 200 companies and organizations within the aviation community, according to a statement from the organization. The organization awarded 123 scholarships valued at $889,140 and to date since 1995, it has helped provide more than $15.4 million in scholarships. View the complete schedule for WAI 2024 here.