Book Event: "Minnesota’s Phoenix: From the Ashes of Braniff to Sun Country Airlines"

Book Event: "Minnesota’s Phoenix: From the Ashes of Braniff to Sun Country Airlines"

Join us at Historic Fort Snelling for a presentation from the women behind the new book Minnesota’s Phoenix: From the Ashes of Braniff to Sun Country Airlines.

Sun Country was born after Braniff International’s 1982 bankruptcy left thousands without jobs. In Minneapolis, a small group of pilots and flight attendants pooled their money, experience and very different skills to build an airline from scratch. Titles mattered less than what needed to be done.

More than four decades later, three women with very different backgrounds came together to preserve that story.

Maggie Hill brought the history. A flight attendant for 48 years, starting at Braniff and becoming one of Sun Country’s first flight attendants, she carried decades of stories she didn’t want to see disappear.

Jennifer Kimball Gasperini brought a storyteller’s instinct. A public relations executive, Jennifer saw striking similarities between Sun Country’s origins and polar expeditions she’d previously worked with: both relying on teamwork, grit and perseverance to reach their audacious goals. Today she is a Sun Country flight attendant. A chance conversation with Maggie several years ago marked the starting point of this project.

Sun Country founder Jim Olsen connected them with Karyn Fernandes, a former Sun Country corporate employee whose work included pricing, revenue management, and distribution technology. Karyn was co-founding an aviation tech company and exploring writing opportunities. She brought the analytical, organizational, and writing skills needed to turn those memories and interviews into a cohesive history.

This event is free. Limited copies of the book will be available for purchase ($20 cash or Venmo) and signing. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.