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Youth flock to annual Girls in Aviation Day

Women in Aviation International event draws 10,000 worldwide

Nearly 10,000 youth attended Women in Aviation International (WAI) programs at airports, museums, and education centers in the United States and 12 other countries during Girls in Aviation Day Sept. 23. WAI President Peggy Chabrian said the annual day geared for girls ages 8 to 17 “introduced the girls to a variety of aviation careers.”

Women in Aviation International's third annual Girls in Aviation Day brought scores of youth to 74 events at airports, museums, and other aviation venues in 12 countries Sept. 23. Photo courtesy of Women in Aviation International.

Pilots and aviation professionals acted as mentors during workshops that delved into the principles of flight, chart-reading techniques, air traffic control, and other aeronautical topics.

“This was our third year and our largest ever,” said Chabrian, who is a fixed- and rotary-wing pilot; and an educator. She said hands-on aviation immersion activities were planned at 74 venues from Australia to the United States.

Chabrian noted that the 500 girls attending a Dallas event was twice the amount of previous years. She credited local WAI chapters, schools, the Girl Scouts, and Civil Air Patrol volunteers for the increase.

Delta Air Lines celebrated the day with a special Women Inspiring our Next Generation (WING) charter flight for 120 girls. United Airlines treated participants to a behind-the-scenes view of a major airline operating at a large airport to teach them about airport management and aviation opportunities.

In Cincinnati, girls sat in a helicopter and quizzed pilots about the cyclic and collective flight controls. In Pensacola at Florida’s National Flight Academy, participants met the female pilot of Fat Albert, the support aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, noted Chabrian.

In Frederick, Maryland, AOPA WAI chapter members rolled out an uncovered Piper J-3 Cub fuselage that inspired questions from about 100 girls—more than 10 times the previous year’s turnout, said National Aviation Community Center Manager Mike Woods.

A green-and-gold AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter piloted by members of the Maryland State Police attracted attention when the five-bladed craft hovered to a nearby landing.

“You could feel a buzz in the air,” noted Woods. In the welcoming environment of a general aviation airport, the girls met professional women aviators who described their roles as pilots, drone operators, and educators. “It was the perfect day,” said Woods.

Women in Aviation International's third annual Girls in Aviation Day brought about 100 youth to the AOPA National Aviation Community Center in Frederick, Maryland, Sept. 23. Photo courtesy of Amanda Leiphart.
David Tulis
David Tulis
Senior Photographer
Senior Photographer David Tulis joined AOPA in 2015 and is a private pilot with single-engine land and sea ratings and a tailwheel endorsement. He is also a certificated remote pilot and co-host of the award-wining AOPA Hangar Talk podcast. David enjoys vintage aircraft and photography.
Topics: Aviation Education Programs, Women in Aviation International

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