Registration for attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors is now open for the 2014 Iowa Aviation Conference! Exhibitors will receive booth space on a first-come, first serve basis. Information on the conference, to be held April 22 & 23 at the West Des Moines Sheraton Hotel, is available at the Iowa Aviation Conference website, or can be accessed from the Iowa DOT Office of Aviation website atwww.iowadot.gov/aviation.
The first day of the conference will include a 4:00 p.m. opening of the exhibit hall, a welcome reception, and a free safety seminar featuring United 232 Captain Al Haynes.
The seminar is open to pilots, airport operators, and first responders. The next day (Wednesday, April 23), conference attendees will have a full day of educational sessions and networking with breakfast, lunch, and breaks in the exhibit hall. More information on the conference will be sent as it is available.
Captain Al Haynes announced as featured speaker at free safety seminar!
On Tuesday, April 22 Captain Al Haynes will return to Iowa to present to pilots, airport operators, and first responders on the concept of teamwork in a crisis based on the story of the crash of Flight 232 in Sioux City. The presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel.
In 1989, 25 years ago this year, the nation and the world were gripped by the news of United Airlines Flight 232 that crashed at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City. While other high profile aircraft accidents have etched their way into Iowa’s aviation history, none had reached the scale and tragedy of the Flight 232 accident. 112 people lost their lives. Miraculously though, 184 people, including pilot Al Haynes, survived the accident.
Haynes has been widely credited for his efforts in piloting the damaged aircraft and minimizing the loss of life. That 184 people survived the crash landing of United 232 can be attributed to many factors including luck, communications, preparation, execution and cooperation. Those factors allowed what appeared to be a non-survivable accident, to be one in which a large percentage of those aboard survived.
