AVFEST 2015
APRIL 24-April 26
Dear Parents,
Your son or daughter is in one of the premier collegiate aviation programs in the world. There is not another accredited collegiate
aviation program within 300 miles of Ruston. We will have our annual Parent/ Student/Alumni Aviation Festival (AVFEST) on
April 24 – 26, 2015. We hope you will be here that weekend to find out more about the aviation industry and how your child will fit
into the giant world of aviation after he or she graduates. A lot of our alumni, who were aviation students as far back as 1967, will
be in Ruston to explain what is happening in the present-day economy with the aviation industry and what our students can expect
after graduation. This will happen at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26.
The weekend begins with a jambalaya cook-off dinner social at the Argent Pavilion on campus. This gives our students a chance to
network with our alumni and you can enjoy meeting other parents, alumni, faculty and staff.
All regional and major airlines are hiring pilots now and will continue for many years to come. That is a great sign of the times
because most of the regional airlines did very little hiring during the time span of 2008-2012. It does not matter which academic
area your child in currently enrolled, Aviation Management or Professional Aviation. Alumni from both curriculums will take
center stage in an educational session held strictly for students and parents on Saturday, April 25 at 9:30 a.m. in room 113 of
Davison Hall. Parents, attending in previous years have told us how informative this session was and how they feel much better
about their son’s or daughter’s future in aviation after they attended the educational session on Saturday morning.
Beginning at 11:00 the Ruston Airport will host the annual Burger-Burn located in the hangar next to the Tech Flight Operations
building. The cooking will be done by faculty member Tom Garza and Professional Aviation Alumni Andy Halbrook. They will
be assisted by various student organizations. This is a casual event much like a large family reunion!
Later that evening we cordially invite you to attend the Awards Banquet on campus at the Student Center (Tonk). This event begins
at 6:00 p.m. and concludes around 8:30. Kirk Sweeney a 2006 graduate with a dual major in Professional Aviation and Aviation
Management will be our guest speaker for the banquet. This is the main event of the weekend and business attire is strongly urged
i.e., shirt and tie /nice dress. There will be numerous awards and scholarships presented to students and staff at the Awards
Banquet. The cost of the banquet meal is $30 per ticket. The deadline for online ticket purchases is April 22, 2015. You can
purchase tickets at the door the evening of the banquet for $35 per ticket. You can reserve your tickets now by registering online at
www.latech.edu/aviation for the banquet.
The weekend will conclude with a late breakfast on Sunday morning at my house (1302 Madera Street in Ruston), which will start
at 9:30 a.m. Parents with students and alumni are invited to the breakfast.
For your consideration may we recommend the following hotels for your stay in Ruston during AVFEST 2015.
Hampton Inn Ruston
Holiday Inn Express and Suites
Fairfield Inn and Suites
Sleep Inn and Suites
We look forward to seeing and visiting with you as we celebrate our students and their accomplishments.
Sincerely,
Gary Eure Odom, Head
[email protected]
Tickets for the
AVFEST banquet are
$30 and
available online for
purchase at
latech.edu/aviation/
Friday 4/24/2015
5:30-8:00
Jambalaya dinner social (Cook-Off) at the Argent Pavilion on
Tech Campus. Assisted by Department of Professional Aviation Student Organizations.
6:00-8:30
Volleyball tournament near the Argent Pavilion.
Department of Professional Aviation Student Organizations.
Saturday 4/25/2015
9:30-11:00
Annual State of the Industry talk presented by alumni.
Question and answer session for students and parents. Faculty
and staff will also be on hand.
The deadline for
online ticket
purchases is
April 22, 2015.
11:00-1:15
Cookout at Ruston Aviation hangar presented by faculty and
staff and assisted by student organizations.
1:30-3:30
Flight Simulation rides at the Flight Operations building for
students, their families and alumni.
1:30-2:30
Alumni meeting with faculty and staff at
Flight Operations classroom.
(ALL ALUMNI WELCOME)
Tickets may be
purchased at the door
for $35 per ticket the
night of the banquet.
2:30-4:00
Industry Advisory Board Meeting at Flight Operations
classroom.
(BOARD MEMBERS ONLY)
6:00-8:45
Awards Banquet at the Louisiana Tech Student Center (Tonk).
Assisted by student organizations and faculty and staff.
Sunday 4/26/2015
9:30-12:00
Breakfast Brunch hosted by Loree and Gary Odom at 1302 Madera Street in Ruston .
We are looking for
volunteers who would like to
prepare jambalaya for the
event.
What we wish to do is have
families/individuals prepare
enough jambalaya to feed
about 15-20 people.
In the past this has been an
enjoyable chance to sample
some great food!
AVFEST 2015
Jambalaya
Cook-Off
Argent Pavilion
April 24, 2015
5:30-8:30
Please contact
Yvonne Buck at
318-257-2691
or
[email protected]
for more information or if
you would like to volunteer!
All money made at the
Jambalaya cook-off goes to
Student Scholarships.