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One young pilot’s tips for others who aspire to fly

London Holmes grew up fascinated by the planes she could see from her house as they took off from Boeing Field and Renton Municipal Airport. By age 14, she was immersed in aerospace education programs — and now, at 17, she’s poised to get her private pilot’s license. Her plan is to become a military pilot, and possibly eventually fly commercial airplanes, too. “I’m a huge aviation nerd,” she admits. “I can live, drink and breathe aviation.”

Holmes is attending Alaska Airlines’ Aviation Day for the first time on Saturday, May 4. Now in its 11th year, Aviation Day brings more than 1,200 young people from around Western Washington to Alaska’s hangar at Sea-Tac International Airport. They get to meet pilots, engineers, flight attendants and technicians working in a wide variety of aviation jobs at Alaska, Boeing, the FAA and the Port of Seattle. They also can connect with educators, military representatives and corporate recruiters to chart potential career paths. Aviation Day is possible because of the efforts of Alaska employees who lead the event, along with partners including Boeing, Port of Seattle, Aerostrat, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and The Museum of Flight. (Read more about Holmes’ story and Aviation Day.)

Holmes appreciates the support she’s received from organizations that help aspiring young pilots, as well as from mentors like Alaska Airlines First Officer Kim Ford. And she’s eager to share what she’s learned. “It’s important for me to give back to other girls in aviation because I have had really great mentors,” Holmes says. “I’ve had really great opportunities. I’ve received great scholarships and I want to give back because I know how amazing it feels.”

For people who worry about the costs of pilot training, Holmes reassures them that it’s possible with help. “I could not pay for flight training by myself. It’s just too expensive,” she says. Her pilot-training costs are covered by a scholarship from the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation. “It’s just a really great time to be in aviation because there are so many resources.”

Here are several organizations that Holmes and Ford recommend aspiring aviators check out.

Educational Programs

Private Pilot Ground School, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Ground-School

Holmes says this should be the first stop for young people around Puget Sound who are curious about aviation. “I know that some people aren’t sure about aviation. This is a great introductory course — especially if you live in the area because it’s free. And these are people your age who also have an interest in aviation.”

Aeronautical Science Pathway program. The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Aeronautical-Science-Pathway

Holmes attends this after-school program for juniors and seniors two hours a day, four days a week, and she’ll earn both high school and college credits. “It’s really cool because six of the students that I took the Private Pilot Ground School course with when I was 14 years old are in the class now.”

ACE Aerospace Camp Experience, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Explore-programs/ace-camp

These day camps are offered year-round for students of all ages who are interested in scientific pursuits.

Michael P. Anderson Memorial Aerospace Program, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Explore-programs/memorial-program

Created in honor of Anderson, a Washington native and the payload commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia, this free educational program is offered to Washington state middle-schoolers.

(Note: The Museum of Flight offers several additional educational programs and resources. Check out the full site here: http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/)

Civil Air Patrol

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/

The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian public service organization offering STEM education and cadet programs focused on developing young aerospace leaders.

Flying Clubs

Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club, a chapter of the Black Pilots of America

https://www.facebook.com/redtailedhawksBPA/

“It’s really important to find aviation-related activities because then you’re able to network but also enjoy and have fun doing aviation-related things at the same time,” Holmes says.

Scholarship Opportunities and Other Resources

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation

https://foundation.aopa.org/

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)

https://www.eaa.org/eaa

LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation

https://leroywhomerjr.org/

The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women’s pilots

https://www.ninety-nines.org/

Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals

https://www.obap.org/scholarships

Sisters of the Skies

https://www.sistersoftheskies.org/

Sisters of the Skies is an organization of black women pilots offering scholarships, mentorships and an outreach program called “Girls Rock Wings.” This year, Alaska Airlines made a commitment with Sisters of the Skies to significantly increase the number of female African-American pilots by 2025.

Tuskegee Next

http://www.tuskegeenext.org/program

Tuskegee Airmen Legacy Flight Academy

https://www.legacyflightacademy.org/

These two programs honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by offering flight training, camps and STEM programs.

Women in Aviation

https://www.wai.org/

Opinion: Some kids need a little lift to see aviation as a career path (Seattle Times)

Originally published in the Seattle Times on May 1, 2019

By Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines CEO

In aviation and in other realms, “lift” is the force that lifts airplanes into the sky, pulls sailboats forward, and makes propellers on windmills work. In 1738, a guy named Daniel Bernoulli figured this out.  Specifically, he figured out that as the velocity of a fluid (air or water in these cases) increases, pressure decreases.  So engineers went to work.  With airplanes, they built curves into the wings to force air above the wing to travel farther, and therefore faster, than air below the wings.  This simple idea creates high pressure air below the wing, and low pressure air above the wing, and it is what keeps airplanes aloft.  Magic!

As our region grows faster than the Seattle skyline, adding jobs and opportunities, we have a moral imperative to figure out our own version of Bernoulli’s principle, something we should have figured out a long time ago. The question is how do we lift kids from all backgrounds and circumstances into the futures that they deserve.

Over the next five years, 740,000 jobs will be added in Washington State. The majority of these will be in highly skilled positions. We’ll need teachers, nurses, technicians, builders, aviators, and more. Some 70% of these jobs will require some training or education beyond high school, but only 31% of our kids are achieving this higher level of learning today. If we don’t fix the imbalance, we’ll most likely import the talent, which means our own kids, especially those kids from more economically challenged backgrounds, will miss out on the opportunities that they so clearly deserve.

As an industry, aviation offers a diverse array of jobs, and a chance to move between them throughout a career. Our state has the largest concentration of aviation and aerospace activity of any in the nation, and Boeing estimates our industry will need 206,000 new pilots and 189,000 new maintenance technicians over the next two decades. To fill these jobs, Alaska Airlines is working with local schools and colleges to make sure we fill these key positions.

In the meantime, one thing that all of us should do is expose our young people to potential career options.  We can do this by partnering with local school districts, by mentoring and creating programs that enable kids to find their voice and believe in their strengths, by providing internships for young people to explore work pathways, and by hiring, training, and promoting a diverse workforce.  If kids can see the destination, it will help them find a way to get there.

This Saturday, Alaska Airlines employees will lead our 11th Annual Aviation Day, and we expect more than 1,200 students to visit our hangar – more than ten times the number who came more than a decade ago. Young people, largely teens, will explore aircraft designs with engineers, kick the tires of an F-18 fighter (and a 737!), and test their skills on our flight simulators.

Many who’ve attended Aviation Day have gone on to careers within the industry.  People like Brendan Cray, an aircraft technician for Alaska who credits Aviation Day for steering him toward a career in aviation.

Like an airplane taking off, an event of this size is a team effort. As the real experts, our employees create and lead Aviation Day. But we couldn’t do this without great partners – the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, U.S. Air Force and Reserves, Sea-Tac Airport, local community colleges and flight schools. Together, we ensure kids can have new experiences, ask questions, and connect with resources for their futures.

Middle school students in Highline are some of those who inspire us. A few years ago, when we asked them about their dreams for the future, many told us they didn’t think they’d be qualified for jobs in aviation – despite growing up with aviation all around them. Some didn’t even know these jobs existed.

Our goal at Aviation Day, and beyond, is to ensure that every kid believes they can work in aviation – or another great career option. But this is a path – not a single step. We recognize that year-round efforts are needed across many fronts:

  • Our partners at Highline Schools, Museum of Flight, and Pacific Science Center fuel possibility and creativity throughout the year.
  • Scholarships at Port Jobs enable airport employees to finish their education or pursue training for career advancement.
  • Our Rotor Wing and Camo2Commerce programs support vets to leverage their valuable skills from the military as commercial pilots and maintenance technicians.
  • We pledged with Sisters of the Skies to significantly increase the number of female African-American pilots by 2025 – to hire the best pilots and ensure a pipeline of talent full of young people who can see themselves anywhere.
  • We’re inspired by Starbucks’ commitment to opportunity youth, Boeing’s Core Plus curriculum development, Vigor’s community workforce training programs, and many other local companies.

Bernoulli’s principle of lift took our world to places our ancestors would never have imagined. Let’s enable kids, including those furthest from opportunity, to reach new ones, too.

Tips from a Mileage Plan rockstar

 

If you’re wondering how to make the most of Mileage Plan and even work your way up to elite status, the best advice typically comes from those who’ve done it. We talked to two 30-year Mileage Plan members: John from Juneau, a current MVP Gold 75K, and Bruce from Portland, who enjoyed MVP Gold status for years. While neither John or Bruce felt they had any sage advice, we begged to differ.

Here are a few tips from the Alaska Mileage Plan veterans:

Stick to Alaska and its partners when traveling for business

Business travel is often outside of your control, but companies are increasingly making it possible for employees to choose their airline and/or enter their Mileage Plan number when booking flights. Both Bruce and John racked up a lot of miles traveling for business by flying Alaska almost exclusively.

You’ll always earn a mile per mile flown on Alaska, but you can earn even more than that depending on the type of fare you book.  First Class, and even certain economy fare classes earn additional bonus miles that get you even closer to elite status or that dream vacation faster.

And if your business travel takes you around the globe, booking with an Alaska Global Partner is a great way to ensure you’re still racking up your Mileage Plan miles.  Earn even faster if you book Premium Class seats internationally.  Earn rates vary by partner, but you can earn up to 3 miles per mile flown in Business Class or up to 5 miles per mile flown when you fly in First Class.

Spend more time in the air, not the airport

Neither Bruce nor John pay attention to racking up segments, though that is a way to earn elite status. Instead, John says he will look at the big picture of his trip: if there’s the option to have multiple segments but be stuck with a long layover, sometimes it’s worth it to book a longer, maybe slightly less direct route.

 

The way he looks at it: he’ll spend the time somewhere – in the airport or in the air. He’d rather spend more time on a plane, racking up miles.

Shop your way to your next vacation

Savvy members know that even if you don’t have any trips coming up, there are plenty of ways to keep your Mileage Plan balance growing.  An easy one?  Shopping! Through Mileage Plan Shopping, you can earn miles for your online and in-store shopping with over 850 participating merchants. Once signed up with Mileage Plan Shopping, you can mark stores as favorites to get alerts when additional bonus mile offers are running. There’s even a browser button you can download that will alert you when you are on a site eligible to earn miles, so you never miss out on mileage earning opportunities.

Save up miles for big trips abroad

Bruce is what you might call a Mileage Plan retiree – he had elite status for nearly 30 years and spent his miles sparingly. Now when he has more time to fly for fun, he’s using his miles to travel the globe.

He highly recommends flying an Alaska Global Partner and paying with miles. He and his wife traveled to Europe and purchased a one-way First Class ticket for around 60,000 miles, which he feels is a much better deal than paying for the ticket with cash.

 Use miles for more than flights

Alaska Airlines Hotels gives you access to more than 400,000 properties worldwide, from unique boutique hotels to major chains.  You can either earn miles for stays – up to an astounding 10,000 miles per night – or, redeem miles for all or a portion of your stay.

Beginner’s guide to Hong Kong

The first time you set eyes on Hong Kong is unforgettable. A hundred mountains rise sharply from over 250 islands. Popping skyward are famed rows of sci-fi skyscrapers — many with glitzy rooftop lounges – that hug a harbor filled with red-sail junk boats. Lurking in the alleys are open-air jade markets, chaotic dim sum halls, temples filled with incense smoke, and the steaming bowls of rice noodles.

You should go.

Visiting a city of seven million that attracts 30 million visitors a year might seem overwhelming for a first-timer. It’s actually one of Asia’s easiest cities to visit, and this guide will help you plan your Hong Kong debut.
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Beginner’s guide to Tokyo

Anyone who’s ever seen the iconic film “Lost in Translation” knows that Tokyo is a whirlwind of lights and color and sound and energy. But until you experience the city firsthand, it’s impossible to comprehend the staggering magnitude of this metropolis. With more than 37 million people, Tokyo is the world’s largest urban area, and to newcomers, it can seem impenetrable. Crowded streets. Subway cars packed to capacity. Menus and signs that are impossible to read.

But the reality is that Tokyo is not only one of the world’s most exciting cities; it’s also one of the most welcoming places on earth — if you know what to do and where to go. Here’s a cheat sheet full of valuable tips, plus a well-curated address book that will help a first-time visitor plan a memorable bucket-list trip.

Getting there

With Alaska’s Global Partner airlines, there are lots of ways you can get to Tokyo while earning and spending your miles.

Of note, Japan Airlines (JAL) flies nonstop from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and New York (JFK) to Tokyo, and from Los Angeles to Osaka. Next week on March 31, JAL is adding a direct flight from Seattle to Tokyo-Narita. And with a double miles promotion, Alaska Mileage Plan members can really rack up the points toward future free trips.
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Asia travel itineraries checking 2 countries off your bucket list

If you have at least 10 days to visit, you may want to see more than one country on your next Asia trip. Alaska has several partner airlines that fly direct routes from major West Coast hubs to East and Southeast Asia, letting you earn miles for your travel. As of April 1, you can fly nonstop from Seattle to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, and Seattle to Tokyo on Japan Airlines, making Asia even more within reach.

Knowing Asia is a lot bigger and more spread out than Europe, I’ve put together my favorite itineraries checking off two countries in one trip – without forcing you to spend your entire trip in the airport or on the road.

Read More

Planning your first trip to Asia

Asia is everything. Beautiful, timeless, cutting edge, affordable, safe, friendly, diverse, loud, meditative, delicious. In a word, unforgettable. And it’s closer than you think, particularly from the West Coast. Seattle, for instance, is about 10 hours from Tokyo on a direct flight, slightly less than the time it takes to reach London.

If you’ve not been, this guide is here to help you plan a debut trip to East and Southeast Asia flying one of Alaska’s Global Partner airlines. Trust me, there’s benefits to doing so, especially with new nonstops from Seattle to Hong Kong and Tokyo. (More on that below.)
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5 things to do during your first visit to Dublin

Whether or not you’re planning an Irish stopover, it’s fun to dive into the local culture – and don some Kelly green – this Sunday. To get a local’s perspective on what to do in the land of dark beers and sprightly jigs, we connected with Eoin Higgins, a local writer and photographer, to learn what he would suggest to friends who visit his city for the first time.

Did you know Global Partner Aer Lingus offers nonstop flights between Seattle and Dublin? Alaska Mileage Plan members can earn miles connecting to Ireland and beyond. And starting June 20, 2019, Mileage Plan members can redeem their Alaska miles to fly on Aer Lingus, as well. Award travel to Dublin starts at just 30,000 miles each way.

Catch a ‘trad’ sesh

Higgins says you can’t go wrong with a “trad” session (traditional Irish music session) accompanied by pints of a beautifully poured stout at the longstanding Cobblestone – the self-described “drinking pub with a music problem” – pictured above. Traditional Irish musicians take to the corner table in this traditional Irish bar and belt out jigs, reels and everything-in-between to an appreciative crowd.

Glam it up then by getting down at Nine Below on upmarket St Stephen’s Green. The city’s most luxurious watering hole is a Grade I-listed space in which to get shaken and stirred. Expect to kick back with world-class bartending and sophisticated drinks in an elegant environment.
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10 summer travel destinations, all an easy nonstop flight away

You don’t have to leave the United States to enjoy your summer vacation. From pristine beaches and epic mountains to state parks and bustling cities, both sides of the country are worth exploring, especially when they’re a nonstop transcontinental flight away. Here are 10 locales to consider before you book your trip with Alaska Airlines.

Boston

Boston is an East Coast treasure steeped in history. The Freedom Trail should not be missed and includes some of the city’s most historic sites, like the Bunker Hill Monument and the Paul Revere House. For a more leisurely stroll, take a walk through Beacon Hill and don’t miss the cobblestone streets and 19th-century row houses on Acorn Street. Boston Public Garden was the first botanical garden in the United States, and you can rent a swan boat to pedal across its 4-acre pond. Museum-goers should stop in the Museum of Fine Arts to browse the Art of Americas Wing and ogle famous paintings by John Singleton Copley and John Singer Sargent. Seafood is abundant, so make sure to grab a famous Boston lobster roll and look for specials to slurp fresh $1 oysters.
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#iAmAlaska: A little extra lift for boy and his dad

Sometimes a little kind-heartedness goes a long way. When Patrick Tucci watched his 11-year-old son Ian board a recent Alaska Airlines flight, he couldn’t hold back the tears.

“My son comes to visit me during the holidays, school vacations and his summer break,” said Tucci in a Facebook post. “Each time it is always heartbreaking having to say our goodbyes.”

For Ian, one of the consistencies of traveling between Seattle, Washington and Orlando, Florida is flying Alaska. But this flight was a little different.

“Ian always has an exceptional experience. Unfortunately, another consistency is the grief Ian goes through when he has to leave,” said Tucci. “After arriving at the gate that day and having to wipe away his tears, he walked a few steps onto the jetbridge, came back for one last hug and the door closed.”

Tucci says he wanted to be strong for Ian after he left, but seeing his son leave is never easy.
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Celebrating our own Captain Marvels

Alaska Airlines First Officer Kim Ford is working to inspire the next generation of young women to achieve their dreams in aviation.

Damsel in distress? Not today. This week’s new box office release, “Captain Marvel,” shatters the image of a weak and powerless woman who needs rescuing. Now the damsel is replaced by a strong, intelligent and conquering woman who is doing the rescuing herself.

What I love about Captain Marvel is that she isn’t partnered with or overshadowed by a male hero. She stands in the spotlight alone and wins her battles the same way. Here at Alaska Airlines, we have many of our own Captain Marvels, and I couldn’t be more proud of the incredible women in our operation, working in the sky as well as on the ground.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I would like to highlight some of the concerted efforts we’re making in diversity and inclusion, while shining the spotlight on some of our own leading ladies.
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Leading the airline industry with 50% women on our board

“It starts at the top”

Alaska Airlines Lead Director Patty Bedient is proud to serve on our board, where more than 50 percent of the independent directors are women, arguing diversity and inclusion starts at the top of an organization.

“It means we ‘walk the talk’ on diversity at the board level,” she says.

Alaska is proud to be the only airline – and the first West Coast Fortune 500 company – to achieve gender parity among independent board directors. Women Inc. Magazine recognized Bedient as well as Phyllis Campbell, Marion Blakey, Helvi Sandvik and Susan Li as five of the Most Influential Corporate Board Directors in 2018.
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