Plans Call For International Girls In Aviation Day In 2015

Women in Aviation, International (WAI) has announced that the association’s successful “Bring Your Daughter to the Conference Day” held for the past three years during WAI’s annual conference has been expanded and rebranded to include an international day to attract girls to aviation planned for September 26, 2015.

Now called Girls in Aviation Day, the program will occur both during WAI’s annual Conference in March as well as a full day where WAI chapters each commit to a local program for the girls in their area in September.

For the past three years, WAI has devoted the Saturday during its annual Conference as an outreach among its members and girls in the local area.  The day of activities introduces girls from ages 8 to 16 years to the possibilities of aviation as a career or avocation. “We knew even after the first year that this was a winning program,” says WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “Of course, we will continue the activities on the Saturday of the conference, but we will also spearhead an international effort to attract girls to the aviation community on September 26, 2015.”

To differentiate the two initiatives, the Conference Girls in Aviation Day will be named after the city in which the Conference is being held. For 2015, that means Dallas-Girls in Aviation Day. Local Girl Scouts and other groups will be invited to participate. As in past years, it’s estimated that 250 girls will take part in this day – flying simulators, learning to read a sectional chart, and building an airport along with a career and college fair for the older girls. “Our membership includes literally thousands of role models for girls – from airline pilots to aeronautical engineers and air traffic controllers, from recreational pilots to those who earn their living in the aviation industry,” added Chabrian. “WAI members enthusiastically support Girls in Aviation Day and the opportunity to expand the presence of women in the aviation community."

WAI chapters will be given a Girls in Aviation Day kit to assist them in publicizing and hosting a local event. Since chapters have different resources, each chapter’s Girls in Aviation Day will be slightly different, but all with the same goal of showing girls that aviation is a career and life choice they can make. Thousands of girls will be reached all around the world.

FMI: www.wai.org