With a month to go before Girls in Aviation Day on September 24, 2016, Women in Aviation International chapters are busy planning a memorable and fun experience for local participants.
"I’m proud of our chapters and the ingenuity and organization they show in planning their local events to create a unique experience for local girls,” says WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian.
"What’s terrific about our chapters is they have reached out to other organizations and made full use of local venues to create a memorable day to impact the lives of girls around the globe. Thousands of lives will be will be impacted by Girls in Aviation Day.”
The majority of WAI's chapters worldwide have registered with current plans for Girls in Aviation Day such as:
Chicago's Leading Edge Chapter in cooperation with Lewis University will present its fifth annual Sky's the Limit event on September 24, 2016. The free, interactive day camp for teenage girls involves workshops aimed at careers in aviation. Modules will include flying a flight simulator, air traffic control, airline dispatch, airline pilot, career panel, and an engineering segment sponsored by Boeing. The camp will be held at the Harold White building on the Lewis University campus in Romeoville, Illinois, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with lunch provided.
The Las Vegas (Nevada) Chapter event will begin at 8 a.m. at Henderson Executive Airport Maverick Airlines' base of operations. With support from Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, Civil Air Patrol, and EAA, and others, the day will include static airplane and helicopter displays; a static glider display provided by CAP; three computer flight simulators; an ATC tower tour; glider crafting and distance competition; a sectional chart scavenger hunt and other activities. This is the first Girls in Aviation Day event for this chapter.
The Alamo City (Texas) Chapter is hosting its second annual Girls in Aviation Day Camp at Stinson Municipal Airport in San Antonio. The day camp is aimed at introducing underprivileged and/or local girls ages 8 to 16 years to the possibilities available in a career in aviation, exposure that would otherwise not occur. The chapter’s goal is to show the girls that great careers are available to them as pilots, dispatchers, air traffic controllers and dozens of other jobs within the aviation community. Girls will meet career role models in a fun and supportive atmosphere as they make their college and career plans.
Gone with the Wind (Atlanta, Georgia) Chapter Girls in Aviation Day will be held at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta from noon to 4 p.m. Attendees are free to come and go according to their schedule during the event hours. The event will expose girls and boys to aviation through challenging and exciting activities, while being surrounded by the attractions of the flight museum. According to the chapter, the goal of the day is “to spark an interest in aviation to all those who attend by introducing them to role models and educating them in a fun and supportive atmosphere.”
California Baptist University's Blue Yonder Student Chapter will also host its first Girls in Aviation Day event this year. Approximately 20 girls will take part in a tour of the university’s flight line while learning about flight safety and the aerodynamics of flight. The girls will be able to explore the cockpit of the university’s Boeing 727. Following lunch, a flight simulator landing competition will take place, followed by a tour of Riverside Airport air traffic control tower. The day ends with Q&A session with the university’s female pilots and staff.
WAI chapters are provided with ideas for activities as well as copies of the second annual issue of Aviation for Girls magazine for distribution that day. This magazine provides information on aviation careers and scholarships, profiles interesting role models, and supplies resources and advice for girls.
More information on Girls in Aviation Day, September 24, 2016, including information about other local chapter events, can be found at www.WAI.org/GIAD.
Visit Girls In Aviation Day on the web
Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing networking, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for women and men who are striving for challenging and fulfilling careers in the aviation and aerospace industries. For more information about WAI, please contact WAI at (937) 839-4647 or online at wai.org.
