More than 16,000 attendees participated in Women in Aviation International’s (WAI) Eighth Annual Girls in Aviation Day on September 24, with 120 events taking place at airports, museums, and FBOs in 19 countries around the world, WAI said on Monday at NBAA-BACE 2022.
Girls in Aviation Day is designed to inspire and educate girls ages eight to 17 about possible careers in aviation and aerospace. During the events, attendees have opportunities to meet female role models, listen to career panels, tour airports and hangars, and participate in a variety of hands-on activities. For example, this year’s attendees did a sectional chart treasure hunt, made paper airplanes and helicopters, and learned about engines, avionics, weather systems, and space.
To commemorate this year’s event, WAI relaunched its Aviation for Girls App with new content and educational activities. The organization also launched a new junior membership that provides all the benefits of the full WAI membership free of charge to those age 18 and younger.
WAI (Booth 1946) kicked off its annual Girls in Aviation Day in 2015 with an initial 32 events gathering about 3,200 participants worldwide. The event has grown every year since, with nearly 10,000 participants attending 85 events in 2021. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, WAI launched a virtual version of the event and released the new app to make its content and resources available digitally year-round.
“We know that Girls in Aviation Day has been instrumental in lighting the spark of interest in aviation and aerospace where girls are introduced to all the various career possibilities in a positive and fun event,” said WAI CEO Allison McKay. “We can now continue to engage them throughout the year with our Aviation for Girls app, free Junior membership, and all the WAI resources.”