This past weekend, between Apr. 24 and Apr. 27, University of North Dakota’s Alpha Eta Rho, Delta Chapter hosted their annual Aviation Family Weekend at the University of North Dakota and said farewell to the original flight operations building that has been in use for over the past 50 years. The activities that are put together over this weekend include the Student Aviation Management Association conference, SAMA Career Fair, aviation scholarship ceremony, and the family weekend banquet dinner. Part of what makes this weekend such an exciting weekend for families to take part in is the fact that flight students at UND are offered the opportunity to schedule a family flight in conjunction with flight operations between Thursday and Saturday.
The organizations that helped host the events this weekend include SAMA, Alpha Eta Rho, Women in Aviation, National Gay Pilots Association, and Aviation Safety Association. SAMA is a student-run organization at the University of North Dakota that is comprised of numerous aviation and management related majors that help organize professional development events for students to attend.
Alpha Eta Rho is an international professional college aviation co-ed fraternity that helps promote a connection between the aviation industry and college institutions. Women in Aviation is an organization that strives to promote the involvement of women within the aviation industry and helps organize numerous interactive events and networking events for students throughout the year.
National Gay Pilots Association’s primary goal is to help build, support, and unite the LGBTQ+ community in all aspects within the aviation industry. Lastly, the Aviation Safety Association is a student-led organization that works under the guidance of UND Aerospace faculty to help provide enhanced safety-related communications between students and the administration, specifically helping conduct pre-flight safety briefings for students and their families during family weekend.
All these student-run organizations played a pivotal role in helping organize and ensure that aviation family weekend at UND was a positive experience that ran smoothly for both students and their visiting families.
With respect to the old flight operation buildings demolition, this is part of a comprehensive plan that is being implemented by UND Aerospace to revitalize the existing space into a modern complex that can handle and accommodate the increasing demand for flight operations out of UND. The 28,500 square ft. project aims to add a state-of-the-art dispatch center, flexible learning spaces, added event space, and a high-tech environment that is on par with the current industry standard in aviation.
This year’s family weekend shines light on an exciting transitionary period in UND Aerospace’s rich history as it seeks to continue growing and continue establishing themselves as one of the top collegiate aviation universities in the nation.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
