By: Meghann Witthoft
The World Aviation Training Symposium (WATS) which took place from May 2-4 2017 in Orlando, Florida proved to be one for the books: history books to be exact. Several elements of the trade show evoked a sense of nostalgia and honoring of past aviation developments, much like the history books we all have read. However, WATS also presented the opportunity to write another chapter in the history books outlining the future of aviation training.
Some of the most prominent reminders of aviation past, as well as past pop culture, were the JETPUBS sponsored table centers. Each center showcased an element from one of four decades in history: the 1900s, 1940s, 1980s, and 2000s. These decades bred countless innovations in aviation including the invention of the Wright Flyer in the early 1900s. One of our graphic designers, Mikaela Hammer, designed a cockpit poster of the aircraft to give to individuals who stopped by the JETPUBS booth; for training purposes only of course. Some of the most popular highlighted items included CDS, Top Gun
VHS tapes, tea cups, wings pins, toy cars, and candies from each decade. These table centers were an interactive way to connect symposium attendees to the past and also served as visual model of our transition to the future.
During WATS 2017, highlighting the development of the future of aviation training was a key goal. A speech on safety cultures made by our Director of Standards Wally Hines and a Johns Hopkins Researcher, Don Schmincke centered around the future of aviation through our latest product offering that is backed by artificial intelligence training.
WATS 2017 was a three day journey from the past to the future and everything in between filled with rekindling of connections and the making of new ones. We are looking forward to seeing what WATS 2018 will have in store!