The 2019 Women in Aviation International (WAI) event, Girls in Aviation Day, is being celebrated around the world for the fifth year! Participation in Girls in Aviation Day has spread far beyond the original vision of the event as airports, FBOs, museums, universities and corporate members have joined WAI Chapters globally to help spread the word that young women can choose from a rich variety of career choices in aviation and aerospace.
Most WAI chapters are celebrating the event on October 5, 2019, and Gleim Aviation will be attending a Girls in Aviation Day event hosted by the Heart of Florida Chapter in Lakeland, FL. Where will you go to celebrate Girls in Aviation Day?
Hundreds of events are happening across the United States, a complete list is published online here. Plus, “Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is hosting a virtual Girls in Aviation Day for anyone who can’t physically attend one of the over 100 events,” said WAI Outreach Director Molly Martin.
“Although photos and videos come close, it’s difficult to describe the enthusiasm these girls show for aviation, many of whom have never touched or ridden in an aircraft,” adds Martin. “Whether it’s a very young girl donning a pilot hat and leather jacket and seeing herself as a pilot, a girl meeting a female role model in any of the dozens of careers represented at these events, or a high school girl learning about aviation majors and career tracks in college, Girls in Aviation Day definitely changes lives – we’re sure of that.”
In addition to the United States, Girls in Aviation Day events will take place in 16 countries: Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, England, France, India, Kenya, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Zambia.
Many of WAI’s corporate members are presenting their own events. Those corporate members are Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Crew Aviation, Cutter Aviation, Delta Air Lines (through its WING Flight program), National Flight Academy, Pratt & Whitney/United Technologies, Signature Flight Service/Atlantic City, Sling Pilot Academy, Soaring Airport and Airport Authority, and Sonoma Jet Center. United Airlines is presenting at 11 locations across the country (Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, Newark, Houston, and Dulles) and six European locations (London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Zurich.)
In all, WAI estimates 20,000 girls will take part in a Girls in Aviation Day 2019. That figure represents exponential growth from the first events in 2015 when just under 4,000 girls participated worldwide.
Last year Gleim Aviation attended the Girls in Aviation Day event in Atlanta Georgia at the Delta Flight Museum. There were hundreds of girls learning about aviation and even tested out the Gleim foam flyers and checking out the Learn to Fly-Become a Pilot booklets!
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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, contact WAI at 3647 State Route 503 South, West Alexandria, OH 45381, Phone (937) 839-4647; Fax (937) 839-4645 or through www.wai.org.