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EADS Socata’s international trainees complete their highly successful EAA “Young Eagles” internship
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 24, 2007
Two college students from the U.S. and Canada have completed their “Young Eagles” internship with EADS Socata, which included on-the-job experience at the general aviation aircraft manufacturer’s French headquarters, a flight in the company’s new TBM 850 very fast turboprop, a visit to the 2007 Paris Air Show and a tour of the Airbus production facility in Toulouse.
These students – 21-year-old Ashley Leman from Crystal Lake, Illinois and 19-year-old John Staines from Komoka, Ontario, Canada – are attending this week’s EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they outlined their experience at a press conference today with EADS Socata Chairman and CEO Jean-Michel Léonard.
Léonard said the 2007 Young Eagles internships were extremely valuable for both the students and EADS Socata, and the company is committed to continuing the program in 2008.
“As an MIT graduate myself, I am fully aware of the value of student exchange and the importance of transatlantic ties between the aviation communities in North America and Europe,” explained Léonard, who recently was named to the Chairman and CEO position at EADS Socata. “Ashley and John were able to see that aviation has only one universal language, which is the shared passion for flight.”
The Young Eagles program is organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and provides airplane rides for young aviation enthusiasts – as well as industry experience for promising future aerospace professionals.
Ashley Leman is a student in Organizational Management at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, and holds a private pilot license with the ambition to be a career pilot. During the Young Eagles internship, she worked in the Customer Support department at EADS Socata’s Tarbes, France headquarters, and was able to contribute to the evolution of the company’s worldwide customer support program.
“I was able to learn about the importance of customer service, and to provide my own input as a future pilot and aircraft operator,” Ashley said. “Thank you, EADS Socata, for this unique experience.”
John Stains is an Engineering Science student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. He has a commercial pilot’s license and hopes to work in aircraft design. At EADS Socata, John was assigned to the evaluation of new aircraft concepts in the company’s design office, where his technical English language skills were highly appreciated.
“My internship with EADS Socata gave me a real vision of the aerospace industry, and it surpassed all my expectations,” John explained. “I very much appreciated the openness and friendliness of everyone I worked with.”
Nicolas Chabbert, the Vice-President Sales & Marketing of EADS Socata, and President of EADS Socata North America, said the company was impressed by the motivation and enthusiasm of Ashley and John throughout their Young Eagles internship.
“We are excited about continuing this international program in 2008, and EADS Socata will be working with EAA President Tom Poberezny, EAA Vice President-Business Development Elissa Lines and Adam Smith, the EAA’s Vice President of Education Outreach, to make next year’s Young Eagles internship another success,” Chabbert added.
