Girls In Aviation Day Is Blowing Up

On Saturday, October 13th, Women in Aviation International is sponsoring a worldwide series of events championing aviation careers for women, Girls In Aviation Day

You might not have heard of Girls in Aviation Day before, in fact, you probably haven't. But after this year's event, the fourth edition, which takes place in places from Kentucky to Kenya, from Canada to California, you probably won't be able to forget about it. Last year's events hosted more than 9,000 girls, a number that is expected to be greatly eclipsed by this year's gatherings. And big corporate sponsors are increasingly stepping up, voting with their budgets for the idea of interesting these young people in aviation careers early on.

It makes sense. By now everybody knows that aviation careers are hot, and if we're going to keep aviation growing, we need people to fill those jobs. Just with pilots, for example, with only about 6 percent of airline flight crew being women, it's a huge career opportunity for women, clearly, and it's a great opportunity for the industry to encourage future pilots today, and young women are a great group to whom to spread the news. Activities vary from event to event based on local sponsors and resources, but in general girls who attend get to take an inside look at the aviation lifestyle that accompanies an aviation career, to learn what resources are available for career seekers, to discover education opportunities and to listen to the stories of women who are currently living the aviation life.

To find out more about Girls in Aviation Day, visit wai.org.

Girls in Aviation Day sponsors include: Bell Helicopter, Delta Air Lines, ISTAT Foundation, Sporty's Pilot Shop, AeroShell, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA); ASA (Aviation Supplies & Academics Inc.), Hartzell Propeller, and Utah Valley University.