More than 15 students attended the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo Feb. 24-26. This annual expo was held in Anaheim, California. There were 19,000 attendees and over 714 exhibitors in total.

Members of the Central Oregon Community College Aviation club as well as other interested students.

The Expo offered lectures from leaders in the industry on safety and advancements in technology.

For Mandy Alderman, the experience confirmed her interest in aviation.

“It was such a good experience to be able to meet with other people in aviation,” Alderman said. “It was great to see what qualities companies look for as far as hiring and aviation schools.”

Alderman was able to connect with the Whirly-Girls, an International Women Helicopter Pilots organization.

The expo was a “big networking” tool for COCC aviation student John Sopher.

“Seeing all the major helicopter schools and technology programs got me really excited about the industry,” Sopher said.

Molly Svendsen

The Broadside

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