From the Alaska Airlines Blog:

This week marks the official start of the 2019 Copper River king salmon season in Cordova, Alaska — and for many people, these salmon are the first sign that summer is on the way.

In celebration of the first catch, Alaska Airlines hosted a red carpet welcome for the Copper River salmon arriving Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. About 18,000 pounds of fresh fish were on the early-morning flight.

The outlook for the season is good, with the forecast for Copper River kings up from past years, and the sockeye projections holding steady, according to Christa Hoover, executive director of the Copper River Marketing Association. “We hope to see 55,000 king salmon and close to 1.5 million sockeye return to the Copper River this season,” she says.

 

“Cordova is off the road system here in Alaska, and we rely heavily on the passenger and cargo services that Alaska Airlines provides year-round,” Hoover says. “For nearly a decade, Alaska Airlines has flown the first Copper River salmon of the season to Seattle and beyond. In just a matter of hours, Copper River salmon is transported from the fisherman to dinner tables across the country.”

“I am an Alaskan fisherman”: A spotlight on the people who catch your fish

For the fishermen of Cordova, this moment is what they’ve been waiting for all year.

Darin Gilman started fishing with his father, Shawn Gilman, when he was only 5 years old. Growing up and watching his dad instilled a sense of pride in Darin that led him to work alongside his father at the same fishery today.

“It’s been wonderful to watch my son and the next generation of fishermen come up,” says Shawn Gilman. “I hope that they can pass our traditions and our fishery on in as good of shape as my generation was able to do for them.”

While neither man would say it’s easy work — acting as their own boat mechanics, net menders and salmon trackers — the Gilmans and other Cordova fishermen are true artisans. And they take pride in Cordova’s sustainable fishing practices. “We make sure year after year to have enough fish go up the rivers so they’ll keep coming back,” Darin Gilman says.

The Honkola family and others fishing in Cordova are dedicated to the preservation of salmon and their ecosystem, recognizing that their work today impacts what others can enjoy in the future. “To be a fisherman, you have to be dedicated, patient, and most importantly, passionate about sustainability,” James Honkola says.

Reflecting on her decades-long career, Thea Thomas recalls making the decision to follow her dream to fish in Alaska — at a time when few women worked in the industry. The best advice she received came from her father, who told her: “The most important thing is figuring out what you want to do. Don’t worry about the money, just make sure this is really what you want to do.”

Thomas thinks about retirement, but can’t bring herself to do it. “I love Cordova,” she says. “I love what I do.”

From Alaska Airlines blog:

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 11^thyear, 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/

Alaska Airlines has issued this story on their blog for Earth Day:

Refillable water bottle? Check. Packed light? Yep. Took public transportation to the airport? Gold star! Globetrotters today think more and more about the impact of their travel, especially air travel, on the environment. But do you know that the smartest thing you can do to lighten your carbon footprint while flying, is something you’ve already done?  Yup, by making the smart choice to fly Alaska Airlines.

At Alaska we make conscious choices every day to reduce the impact of our operations, through big things—like purchasing the most fuel-efficient aircraft and exploring sustainable alternative biofuels. We also think about the little things—like eliminating plastic straws, recycling onboard items and using locally made food and beverage items.

Dune Ives, Alaska Gold 75K and executive director of Lonely Whale Foundation, feels good about the choice she makes to fly Alaska, because of Alaska’s commitment to flying greener.

“If I must be on the road and away from my family, it’s good to be flying on an airline that matches my values,” she said.  “Alaska is noticeably different in this way. I see it in action every time I fly on Alaska. Flight attendants work hard to separate items, and recycle and compost. They live their values. I don’t see this same commitment in action when I fly other airlines.”

So how does Alaska fly greener? Here’s a few ways:

Green places.  Alaska flies to some of the most sustainable places on the plant, like Costa Rica and the Hawaiian Islands. “Just choosing your destination, based on its sustainability, is a great way to fly greener,” said Ives, who travels often for work and with her family and loves Hawaii.

Clear the air. Alaska has the most fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly fleets among all U.S. airlines and we were a pioneer in the use of RNP, a navigation technology that decreases emissions, improves safety and even gets you to your destination faster. “It makes me feel like I’m doing a little less “bad” when I fly Alaska,” said Ives who also likes to travel with Alaska’s Global Partners.

And the sea. In partnership with Ives and Lonely Whale, Alaska ditched plastic straws onboard flights and switched from plastic to bamboo citrus picks. “Strawless is an important first step in reducing plastic in our marine habitats, and I’m proud to say that Alaska was the first,” Ives said.  Alaska also replaced bottled beer with cans, which are lighter (less fuel) and easier to recycle.

Waste not. In the last eight years, flight attendants have captured 12,000 tons of recyclables that would have otherwise gone to landfills.  Since we started recycling in 2010, we’ve cut our waste per passenger in half.

Travel like a green pro

Ives knows that being green isn’t easy, so she suggests that travelers start simply with just one thing, and do it well. For her, it’s always traveling with her reusable fork, knife and spoon set to eliminate the use of plastic at the airport and in the air.

 Here’s some other easy ways you can get your green on.

• Fly the most direct route. Alaska flies directly to four Hawaiian Islands from the West Coast, without a stop. This routing uses less fuel and resources.
• Take public transportation to and from the airport.
• Bring a refillable stainless-steel water bottle and fill it up at the airport once you get through security.
• Resist your Kondo urge to ‘tidy up’ and don’t put wrappers, napkins or other garbage into cans or bottles. It’s easier for our flight attendants to recycle if you keep items separate until collected.
• Don’t forget to recycle your magazines and newspapers onboard. Share with another guest, or give them to our flight attendants to recycle.
• Buy reef-safe sunscreen if you’re going to swim in the ocean. Regular sunscreens can do harm to coral reefs, which Ives says, “are the lifeblood of our planet.” Leave only footprints in the sand, nothing else!
• Eat locally. Take advantage of farmers markets and locally-sourced foods while visiting a new destination.

Learn more about Alaska Airlines’ sustainability efforts at: http://flysustainably.com/

Alaska Airlines published this on its blog:

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.

When I joined Alaska Airlines in 1989, we had only one woman in a vice president role and one woman on our board of directors. Today, 30 percent of our officers across the company are women. Additionally, 50 percent of our board members are women — we’re the only airline and the first Fortune 500 company on the West Coast to achieve this.

Our commitment to creating an environment where all people feel valued extends throughout the company. From the flight deck to the cubicle, 56 percent of our employees across Alaska Air Group identify as female. We have two women’s employee groups with nearly 500 members. Tonight, our Women’s Interactive Network Group is hosting an event to help members build their personal brands. We’re also looking forward to our second-annual women’s summit later this month. We believe diversity is a superpower that fuels our innovation and progress.

In May 2018, we had a first at Alaska Airlines. Captain Tara Wright and First Officer Mallory Cave were the first two female African American pilots to fly together in Alaska Airlines’ history. While we celebrate moments like this, they also illuminate how far we have to go as an industry. At Alaska, we want to reflect the communities we serve, making sure the next generation has opportunities – no matter their gender or skin color.

When it comes to our pilots, we continue to hold the highest standards and hire the best of the best. Unfortunately, however, the pipeline of qualified pilots is severely lacking diversity. In hopes of changing this paradigm, we just signed a hiring pledge with Sisters of the Skies. We have plans to build up African American female role models in aviation through new support mechanisms for current employees and enhanced mentorship and development opportunities for noncertified pilots and youth in our community. It’s one of the many efforts we’re making to encourage girls and women of color to go after their dreams and break through barriers.

Charu Jain, our vice president and chief information officer, is another superhero, one who redefines the role of women in information technology. Throughout our acquisition of Virgin America, she led her team with strength and humility through the integration of more than 40 technology systems. As the executive sponsor of Alaska Women in Tech, one of our diversity and inclusion groups, she provides resources, education and networking to empower individuals to grow careers. Her deep understanding of the industry and her dedication to the community make her a perfect fit for our company and a respected leader.

Sangita Woerner, our vice president of marketing, is also a heroine with tenacity and fortitude. She breaks barriers, isn’t afraid of a little competition, and has given new life to our brand and the characteristics that make Alaska Airlines unique. As a board member for United Way, she supports the communities we serve by making substantive changes.

Jain and Woerner are among 10 women in executive leadership at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air with whom I’m proud to be associated. It’s these women, along with so many others who are everyday superheroes in their jobs here, that set us apart from the rest. Diversity helps us be our best when we learn from each other and embrace our differences. I think that’s marvelous.

All photos by Alaska Airlines.