The idea resulted in the famous “Mercury 13,” led by Jerrie Cobb and formed in 1960. Yet many in the U.S. believed that space was no place for a woman, and Russia would become the first country to produce a female astronaut. For many of the Mercury 13, an elite group of women aviators, their hopes were dashed. Yet one would touch space, albeit nearly 60 years later—Wally Funk. 

Mary Wallace Funk was born in 1939 in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Flying was on her mind from an early age, and at 8 she attempted her first flight by jumping off her parents’ roof wearing a Superman cape. While this obviously didn’t work, her mother knew Funk had the grit needed to be a pilot, and at 9 she took her first flying lesson. 

By the time Funk reached high school, mechanics and aviation had captured her heart. She attempted to enroll in courses such as mechanical drawing yet was redirected to more “appropriate” subjects such as home economics. For Funk, this simply wouldn’t do, and she left high school to enroll at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. While there, she became a member of the “Flying Susies” and graduated first in her class of 24 pilots. Funk would go on to become a civilian flight instructor at 20, teaching U.S. Army officers. 

At 21, Funk volunteered for NASA’s “Woman in Space” program. Despite being younger than the recommended 25-40, she was selected and would go on to be a part of the elite Mercury 13. The rigorous tests were both physical and mental, and in some of them Funk scored even higher than John Glenn. Despite their success, however, the prevailing idea was that women didn’t belong in space, and the program would be canceled after two years.

Funk would go on to become the 58th woman to earn an airline transport pilot rating, yet could not find work with a carrier due to her gender. Not to be deterred, in 1971 she became the first female FAA flight inspector. In 1973, Funk was promoted to the FAA Systems Worthiness Analysis Program, and in ’74 she was hired by the National Transportation Safety Board as its first female air safety investigator. Funk would spend 11 years in that position until her retirement in 1985. Even in retirement, she kept herself busy as an FAA safety counselor. 

It was in 1995 that the first space shuttle to be piloted by a female (Eileen Collins) was launched. Funk was on hand with several other members of the Mercury 13 to watch their dreams come to fruition.

Yet for Funk, that wouldn’t be the end of her journey to space.

In 2021, Funk finally saw space on the first New Shepard mission, part of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin project. At the time, the trip made Funk the oldest (82) to fly to space, a record she took from Glenn (77) but was surpassed later that year by William Shatner (90). 

Funk has received countless honors and awards, including from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Smithsonian Institution, and alma mater Stephens College. Her time in aviation has included 7,000 students soloed, with 3,000 achieving a multitude of ratings.

Funk, now 85 and residing in Grapevine, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has logged more than 18,600 flight hours in her career. So it’s little wonder why her biography,  Higher, Faster, Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Spaceflight, remains an inspiring read for flying and space enthusiasts.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Plane & Pilot.

The post Wally Funk: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, All the Way to Space appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Jessen was born in 1937 and raised in Chicago. As a teenager she joined the Civil Air Patrol, where she had her first opportunity to fly an airplane. Her interest in aviation continued at University of Oklahoma (OU) where she joined the school’s flight club, known as the Air Knockers. She was a skilled pilot and earned several flight trophies. She also became the first woman to work as a flight instructor at OU.

In the summer of 1961, when Jessen was 24, another woman flight instructor in Oklahoma, Wally Funk, told her about an opportunity to join an experiment to see if women pilots could become astronauts. Jessen applied, was accepted, and quit her job as a flight instructor to become part of the “Mercury 13” experimental program based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jessen passed the tests and was preparing to go to Florida with the rest of the trainees, but the program was canceled.

Jessen was always modest about her role in the space program. However, she served as a role model for several women who became flight crew for space shuttle missions. She received notes from them thanking her for her part in the space program.

In 1962, she was hired at Beech Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas, as a sales demonstration pilot.  She added additional ratings as she became qualified to fly everything Beech Aircraft produced.

She gained prominence as one of the “Three Musketeers,” a promotional event that involved Jessen and two other pilots flying formation across 48 states in 90 days to promote the new Beech Musketeer. She would later write about this experience in her 2009 book, The Fabulous Flight of the Three Musketeers.

It was at Beech that she met her husband Bob, who had been a B-29 pilot during World War II. Aviation was a key part of their relationship as the pair moved to Idaho in 1967 and started a series of aviation businesses while raising a family.

Jessen loved to fly and promote aviation. She served as President of The Ninety-Nines, the international organization of women pilots, and was skilled at research. She was determined to chronicle the feats and accomplishments of the first women pilots. This led to her book, The Powder Puff Derby of 1929, published in 2001. She also penned Amelia Was Right, and Sky Girls: The True Story of the First Woman’s Cross-Country Air Race. In addition, she was a regular contributor for The Northwest Flyer and The Idaho Statesman.

Perhaps inspired by what she found during her research, Jessen began air racing herself and continued to fly until health challenges prompted her to hang up her wings in 2017.

While no memorial plans have been announced, those who wish to remember Jessen are invited to make a donation in her name to The Ninety-Nines, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports women pilots.

The post Remembering the Legacy of Gene Nora Jessen appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The competition promotes skill over speed along the course that measures 2,610 sm. The race is set to end June 21 at Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland.

The Air Race Classic (ARC) traces its roots to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby in which 20 female pilots, among them celebrity aviatrix such as Amelia Earhart, Florence “Pancho” Barnes, Ruth Elder, Louise Thaden, and Evelyn “Bobby” Trout, raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland.

The ARC continues in the spirit of that event, with women pilots of all ages and backgrounds.

Race organizers note that this year marks the 95th anniversary of the Women’s Air Derby.

• READ MORE: Fundraising Underway for 1929 Women’s Air Derby Film

“The ARC board of directors and volunteers have been hard at work preparing for our 47th race,” said Air Race Classic president Donna Harris. “We welcome back veteran racers and meet new competitors at our start in Carbondale, Illinois.”

The teams consist of at least two female pilots. Each team flies a normally aspirated, piston-powered airplane in visual flight conditions during daylight hours.

To qualify for the race, they must hold at least a private pilot certificate and have 100 hours as pilot in command (PIC). One of the teammates must hold a commercial certificate and have at least 500 hours as PIC or a current instrument rating. Teams can include an additional teammate provided they hold at least a student pilot certificate.

• READ MORE: The Legendary Life of Pancho Barnes, Aviatrix

The teams will launch from (KMDH) starting at 8 a.m. CDT in 30-second intervals. The route takes the aircraft over La Porte, Indiana; Cadillac, Michigan; Newark, Ohio; Monee, Illinois; Owatonna, Minnesota; Moberly, Missouri; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and Dodge City, Kansas. Teams will execute high-speed flybys over a timing line at each of these intermediate airports, where they may also land to refuel, take a break, or stay the night.

• READ MORE: Air Race Classic Announces 2024 Route

Every aircraft has a handicap, and each team is responsible for its own flight planning. Each team also is assigned a handicap, and the best teams will beat that metric, so essentially the teams are competing against themselves.

Race organizers note that the official standings are not determined until all teams have crossed the finish line.

The post Air Race Classic Ready for Launch appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The story follows the 20 women who took part in the “Powder Puff Derby,” which was humorist Will Rogers’ facetious name for the California-to-Ohio air race that was the first time females were allowed to compete. The participants included aviation notables such as Louise Thaden, Florence “Pancho” Barnes, Amelia Earhart, and Bobbi Trout. The women fought the elements, deliberate sabotage, and chauvinism to pursue aviation.

• READ MORE: The Legendary Life of Pancho Barnes, Aviatrix

According to Kara White, producer/director at Hemlock Films, the script focuses on Thaden, who was newly married and just 23 at the time of the race but already an accomplished pilot.

The racecourse from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland and took nine days to complete, and one racer died of carbon monoxide poisoning en route. At the time, women pilots were still a bit of a novelty, although 1929 would be the year the Ninety-Nines, the international organization of women pilots, was established. The name reflects the number of certificated women pilots at the time who  joined the fledgling group. 

This is not the first time Hemlock Films has decided to tell this story. In 2014, it produced a documentary on the Women’s Air Derby called, Beyond the Powder: The Legacy of the First Women’s Cross-Country Air Race.

• READ MORE: Ocean Exploration Company Thinks It Found Earhart’s Airplane

White said she was inspired to create a feature-length movie after reading aviatrix and author Gene Nora Jessen’s book Sky Girls: The True Story of the First Women’s Cross-Country Air Race.

“It was an incredible story, the book was a page turner and I thought, ‘How is this not a film?'” White said. “A story from history as a narrative is so much stronger than a documentary. The story resonates more as a narrative for most people.”

Part of the research was done at the Cleveland Public Library, where White asked librarians for newspaper clippings about the race.

“They brought me a folder with two photographs in it,” said White, who then did some sleuthing on her own and found more information. “The folders they brought me got bigger and bigger!”

Soon after, she said the script began to take shape. written in the same vein as A League Of Their Own, the 1992 biopic and later streaming TV series about women’s professional baseball in the 1940s.

White said the film company is currently in the throes of fundraising since it will take at least $10 million to complete the project, and that money needs to be in hand before it  begins. 

In addition, Hemlock Films is reaching out to actors who might be interested in playing a role in the movie and also trying to find period-correct aircraft that could be used for filming. Movie magic can be incorporated to create period-correct cockpits and the illusion of flying, White said, similar to the way it was done in this year’s Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air.

The post Fundraising Underway for 1929 Women’s Air Derby Film appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In honor of Black History Month, we remember her with Gigi Coleman—her great niece—who performs a different kind of barnstorming, traveling the country in a one-woman show sharing Bessie’s story. FLYING caught up with Gigi at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

“It is a story that is not often told,” said Gigi, dressed in a period-correct costume of a 1920s aviatrix. “People don’t know about her. They just know about Amelia Earhart, who, by the way, earned her pilot certificate two years after Bessie earned hers in the U.S. Reeve Lindbergh, the youngest daughter of Charlies Lindbergh, spoke with my mother about it. Reeve wrote the book Nobody Owns the Sky and said she felt bad because her father was getting all the accolades from that time, and Aunt Bessie wasn’t getting anything.”

• READ MORE: Carole Hopson Propels Bessie Coleman’s Legacy Forward

During the presentation, Gigi Coleman, in character as Bessie and in the first person, tells the audience about being born into a family of sharecroppers, the 10th of 13 children, picking cotton. When she had the opportunity to get an education, she says she took it, even if it meant walking several miles to and from school every day. She says she enjoyed reading and learning, and when she was old enough, she went to work to make money to pay for more college, attending classes until the money ran out. This was at a time when so-called Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation, limiting opportunities for people of color.

Bessie Coleman refused to be deterred. She worked as a manicurist to earn the money for flying lessons, but even having the means didn’t mean you could learn to fly, Gigi tells the audience. She says her great aunt went to a flight school in Chicago and was dismissed not only for being a woman but also for being Black.

In the 1920s women in the U.S. were expected to be wives and mothers—very few had careers. It was different in France, as Bessie learned from a relative who had served in the Army during World War I. He came home with stories about the women there being much more than wives and mothers.

“They had careers!” proclaims Gigi as Bessie. Bessie went to France for flight training. She came home with an international pilot certificate in 1921—two years before Earhart earned her certificate.

Bessie then began a career as a barnstormer, a pilot who flew around the country often in surplus WWI aircraft, such as the Curtiss JN-4, known as the Jenny. Barnstorming involved doing aerobatics often over a farmer’s field or at a race track where people paid to see aviators risk their lives.

Bessie would only perform in exhibitions if the crowds were desegregated. This was a gutsy move on her part, as segregation was the law of the land. Her career as a barnstormer and her life were cut short on April 30, 1926, when she and her mechanic took to the air before an upcoming performance. The aircraft had been having engine trouble. During the flight it went into a nosedive, throwing her out of the cockpit. Bessie Coleman died when she hit the ground, and the mechanic was also killed in the crash. She was 34.

• READ MORE: Bessie Coleman: Remembering An Aviation Pioneer

Gigi Coleman grew up hearing stories about great aunt Bessie from her mother, who was adamant that Bessie would not be forgotten. “My mother got the United States Postal Service to put Bessie Coleman on a postage stamp in 1995 and made buttons with her likeness and got a local museum in Chicago to share her story,” Gigi said.

Other tributes include numerous books, a quarter with her image, and a doll from Mattel, the makers of Barbie, with her in a pilot’s uniform.

In Illinois, streets have been named for her, and according to Gigi, on the anniversary of her death her great aunt’s grave in Chicago earns a flyover from pilots who drop flowers.

When her mother died, it fell to Gigi to keep the legacy alive—hence the creation of the one-woman show in 2014. She doesn’t sugarcoat the opposition her great aunt faced during the time of Jim Crow but notes it still draws a reaction from her audience.

“It was her reality,” she said. “I am not trying to offend anyone, but this was the way it was and what she had to endure.”

Gigi does a lot of work with school groups, especially those with economically disadvantaged students. In a few weeks she will be part of a virtual program that will introduce children to different careers in aviation through guest speakers and activities.

Gig Coleman is also adding to her own education, taking flying lessons in Oklahoma in a Cessna 172.

Her message for people by way of aunt Bessie is simple: “You can do whatever you want to in life. Don’t let anybody tell you different. Don’t take no for an answer; every no is one step closer to yes.”

The post Remembering Bessie Coleman appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the NAA, as a founding board member of WAI, Bosco helped create multiple platforms to nurture, educate, and inspire future generations of aviators. She helped establish WAI’s Young Professional Advisory Group, Super Mentor Program, and  Jobs Connect platform. One of her largest and most impactful collaborations was with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for the online course “‘Leadership for Women in Aerospace and Aviation,” which has drawn more than 2,200 attendees. 

At the present time, Bosco serves as co-chair of the Aviation Accreditation Board International Industry/Educator forum. The group’s focus is to promote collaboration of industry and educators to cultivate the next generation of aviation and aerospace professionals.

“I am thrilled and honored to be the recipient of the Brewer Trophy,” Bosco said. “Throughout my career, I have loved sharing the excitement of opportunities afforded by aviation and aerospace with both career seekers and enhancers—in the hope that they will power our industry forward to even greater heights. So many past Brewer recipients have been lifelong friends and mentors and an inspiration for my own passion for aviation education. I am humbled to be included among this esteemed group of professionals.”

Said Amy Spowart, NAA President and CEO: “Few people in our industry have the drive and passion that Cassandra has. Her impact has created meaningful exposure and lifelong opportunities for all who desire a place in our industry, especially women and minorities. She is a staunch ally and friend of aviation around the world.”

H2: About the Brewer Trophy

The Frank G. Brewer Trophy. established in 1943,  is awarded annually to an individual, group of individuals, or organization for significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.

The Brewer Trophy is under the care of the National Aeronautic Association, a nonprofit membership organization devoted to fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the U.S..

Among the past recipients are the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s You Can Fly program, aviation educators and founders of King Schools John and Martha King, and Women in Aviation founder Dr. Peggy Chabrian.

The selection committee for the 2023 Frank G. Brewer Trophy includes Frank and Robert Brewer and Jana Denning, NAA board of directors; Jim Gregory, 2020 Brewer Trophy recipient’, Susan Mallett, 2022 Brewer Trophy recipient; and Shannon Weidekamp, Equus Flight Academy.

The Brewer Trophy will be presented on a future date and location to be determined. More information and a complete list of previous recipients can be found here.

The post Cassandra Bosco Named as 2023 Brewer Trophy Recipient appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This year, there were none. This was not a surprise, as many of these women, part of what Tom Brokaw dubbed “The Greatest Generation,” are too frail to travel. Before they head West, the Veterans History Project wants to capture their stories.

About VHP

The Veterans History Project (VHP) was established in 2000 by Congressional legislation as a means to tell the stories of veterans. The tales are recorded and archived as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. VHP is reaching out to the remaining WASPs and their families and friends, asking that they share their experiences. 

The WASPs served in noncombat flying roles from August 1943 until they were disbanded in December 1944. They endured the same training the men did and flew the same aircraft, including test flights, target towing, and ferrying airplanes around the country. Yet they were not considered soldiers. When the group was disbanded, members were told to “go home and keep their mouths shut,” which they did, not even telling their families how they had served. They weren’t even recognized as veterans until November 1977 when President Jimmy Carter signed a bill recognizing them for their honorable deeds. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded the WASPs the Congressional Gold Medal. 

Kerry Ward, a liaison specialist with VHP who oversees the collection of the stories— thousands of hours of oral histories, letters, photographs, and diaries from veterans and their families.

“It can be a journey of discovery,” said Ward.

In addition to audio- and video-recorded oral history interviews, VHP accepts unpublished memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries/journals, 2D artwork, and other historical documents from those who served in the U.S. armed services. VHP can also help people find out more about a family member or friend who served.

• READ MORE: WASP to Commemorate 80th Anniversary

“The place to start [is the] loc.gov/vets archival side as well as the participatory side of the project,” said Ward, noting that since 2000, VHP has collected more than 117,000 stories from veterans and Gold Star families, including experiences from World War I to current conflicts.

Many veterans didn’t want to talk about the war after they came home, so their children never knew about their  experiences until after the parent had died and the children were going through belongings and found evidence of their service.

It’s particularly poignant when they find out their mother served. I have seen this firsthand. I was working at King County/Boeing Field (KCIA) in Seattle when a woman came to me with a blue cap and a pair of tarnished silver wings with a diamond in the center. She found them as she was going through a trunk that belonged to her recently deceased mother. I recognized them immediately—her mother had been a WASP, and her family never knew.

The WASPs were not the only women to serve. Ward noted that VHP is also seeking stories about the women known as “Code Girls.” These women were among some 10,000 who served as cryptographers and cryptanalysts or code makers and code breakers during World War II. They were recruited from within various branches of the military and worked in secrecy to break German and Japanese codes. 

“They were recruited if they were good at puzzles,” said Ward. “The work they did was so secret, they had to tell everyone they were secretaries.”

Sometimes the veterans are a little hesitant to share their stories around family members. “For them we have a set of draft questions and they start with those,” Ward said.

For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/vets.

The post Veterans History Project Collecting WASPs’ Heroic Stories appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Carole is not a person who saw those challenges as insurmountable. Previously, as a corporate executive and journalist, she met every obstacle with gusto. When she started training to fly, her quest to her current role as a United Airlines Boeing 737 captain based out of Newark, New Jersey, could have been derailed many times. It took a solid plan, years of work, and a combination of brains, perseverance, and an infectious positive attitude to make her dream come true.

And she is just getting started. In addition to launching the “100 Pairs of Wings” program following the success of her biography of Bessie Coleman, A Pair of Wings, Hopson is also a mentor in United’s Aviate Academy, through which the airline intends to fulfill its promise of a more diversified workforce.

FLYING Magazine (FM): Explain your early interest in flying—when you first noticed airplanes—and how that impacted your future.

Carole Hopson (CH): I have wanted to fly airplanes ever since I can remember. But this was not a popular career aspiration for a girl coming of age in the 1960s and ‘70s. It felt like a dream that I should keep to myself. And so I did. But it was something that just wouldn’t leave me. Even though I pursued many remarkable fields, I still wanted to follow this path.

FM: Your husband, Michael, was instrumental in helping you move from being a corporate executive and journalist to becoming a professional pilot. What did he do to help you?

CH: The first thing that my husband Michael did was he listened. He never laughed at me, and then he put real money and enthusiastic support behind my training. He bought me a discovery flight and paid for the initial lessons. He also helped me create what he called an “exit strategy.” We put together a financial plan with a timeline to forge my dream into a goal.

FM: Once you decided to train to become an airline pilot,what support system did you have in terms of family life as well as financially?

CH: That exit strategy that I talked about was detailed. Before I up and left my job, I took another position so that I could save the money for flight school. We mapped out which flight schools I would attend and planned for the accelerated courses, as well as cost—both financial and emotional. Then we bought a house and moved from Manhattan to New Jersey so that I could be close to small airports and flight schools. Then we stuck to the plan.

FM: How did that plan work out?

CH: What no one factored in was September 11th. That fateful day changed the lives of so many. Like others, Michael and I decided to have a family, and were fortunate and had two sons. They changed my life more than I could have ever imagined. I never thought I would love anything as much as flying, but my children changed my point of view. I loved my infant and toddler more than anything and stayed home for 14 years raising our boys before getting the training and hours I needed to get to where I am today.

FM: As an international airline pilot, as well as mother, author, public speaker, and philanthropist, what personal skills, tricks, and habits do you use to balance everything?

CH: I call it the law of three because I can juggle three balls at a time: Family. Flying. Book. And then there’s grace. Try to be graceful, try to allow yourself grace, and then pay attention to the task at hand and ask for help.

FM: Explain what the goals of your Jet Black Foundation are as well as the 100 Pairs of Wings Project, and tell us why this is needed.

CH: Jetblackfoundation.org was founded to recruit and train African-American female pilots. Less than one percent of our current pilot workforce is African-American and female. We have to begin to recruit from talent pools that we have never searched before. The 100 Pairs of Wings project will begin in 2025, with a goal to raise funds to put 10 Black women through flight training every year for the next 10 years. This is problem-solving that is good for business and ultimately is workforce development in its purest form.

FM: Why is it important that the aviation industry, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals support your foundation with their donations?

CH: Post-COVID travelers have returned with gusto. Private aircraft acquisition and cargo flying have also seen an increase in demand. Last summer and over the 2022 holidays, we saw record numbers of flights canceled because of staffing shortages, and those staffing challenges will continue. We must begin to think about how we solve business challenges in a different way. Recruiting in brand-new arenas is a solid strategy, and investing in people is the smartest business investment we can make.

FM: What personal or aviation similarities do you share with Bessie Coleman, who you wrote about in your book, A Pair of Wings?

CH: It’s an honor to compare any part of my being with Coleman’s legacy. But for sure I have learned from studying her and have tried to adopt some key principles that I have learned. Coleman gets lots of credit for being beautiful and brave, and she did indeed have these attributes in abundance, but what I learned from her is that she took these raw materials and turned them into problem-solving superpowers. From this observation, I have learned that obstacles have opportunity.

FM: In Michelle Obama’s latest book The Light We Carry she explains her “When they go low, we go high” mantra. As a woman of color coming up through the ranks in the airlines, did you ever have to employ that same philosophy?

CH: I smile as I write this: yes, every day! Learning how to deescalate and focus on the mission is key. I am human, so an insult, a curt response, or a mean look can be a distraction. But I don’t own that; someone else does. I have a job to do and keeping my crew and passengers safe is the only goal. Besides, it’s my decision to keep my control or to give it away. I have decided to keep it.

FM: What is the one big message you want to share directly with young girls and women of color that may read this and become inspired to follow a career path similar to yours?

CH: First, decide that if you love a thing, it’s worth the pursuit. Secondly, find a mentor. And by this I mean a guide, not necessarily a friend who rubber stamps your every move—find someone who has been where you want to go. Learn, teach, and never stop this process. Being mentored—and mentoring someone else—is the best way to continue to evolve.

Quick 6

Is there anyone living or dead you would most like to fly with? 

Two actually, Bessie Coleman and my mom.

If you could fly any airplane or helicopter you have not yet flown, what would that be?

I am thinking tall and small, so a Boeing 787 and a Pitts.

What is one airport you’ve always wanted to fly into?

The next one.

What do you believe has been aviation’s biggest breakthrough event or innovation?

The jet engine!

What is one important life lesson learned from becoming an airline pilot?

Trust in yourself. Only you can give yourself confidence, but anyone can take it away from you.

When not flying or promoting your foundation, you’d rather be…

Spending time with my husband and boys!

The post Just Getting Started appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to WAI, there are more than 150 events planned at airports, FBOs, museums, and hangars across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

Links to events in your area may be found here.

These age-appropriate activities are designed to introduce girls ages 8-18 to the career and lifestyle possibilities in aviation and aerospace. Girls are presented the opportunity to meet female role models, attend career panels, get up close with aircraft, tour airports, and take advantage of hands-on fun and educational activities, including chart reading, scavenger hunts, exploring the moon and Mars research sites, and learning about aircraft engines and avionics with the help of aviation maintenance technicians. 

However, Girls in Aviation is not a one-day event, according to Kelly Murphy, WAI director of communications.

“In addition to the around-the-world event, we have new content on the Aviation for Girls app,” Murphy said. “We encourage girls all around the world to download the free Aviation for Girls app and to enjoy a virtual Girls in Aviation Day and access WAI resources all year.”

Girls 18 and younger can also access a free junior WAI membership, Murphy said.

Membership is required to apply for the many scholarships that the organization facilitates. “If they become a junior member by October 1, they can apply for up to three scholarships. The deadline for the application is October 12,” Murphy said.

WAI’s GIAD event hosts will offer free activity kits while supplies last to participants featuring a Girls in Aviation Day backpack filled with Aviation for Girls 2023 Issue 2, a propeller activity, an aviation sectional chart, a WAI sticker, a glitter tattoo, the new WAI Career Guide, and a bandana. Additionally, caps, keychains, and GIAD T-shirts for adults and children are available for purchase.

“Thanks to the generous support of our partners, Women in Aviation International has significantly expanded this one-day event to reach girls interested in aviation and aerospace year-round through our Aviation for Girls program,” WAI interim CEO Stephanie Kenyon said. “As a part of this comprehensive youth STEM education program, we launched a new, free junior membership for girls and boys 18 years and younger so they can enjoy all the WAI benefits and resources, including the ability to apply for up to three WAI scholarships. We know Girls in Aviation Day has been instrumental in introducing opportunities in aviation and STEM to thousands of participants all around the world.”

History of GIAD

The first WAI international Girls in Aviation Day was celebrated in 2015, with 32 events and 3,200 participants. The event has grown each year, and in 2019 GIAD sported 20,000 attendees and 119 events in 18 countries. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the launch of the Aviation for Girls app, which has enabled virtual access worldwide.

This year, WAI published The Sky is Unlimited: Careers in Aviation and Aerospace, which will be included in each GIAD activity kit and will be available on the Aviation for Girls app as well as the WAI website.

The post Girls in Aviation Day Set for Saturday appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Members are invited to apply for more than $500,000 of helicopter training and educational scholarships made possible by the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund.

The awards are funded by donations from private individuals and industry leaders, including Airbus, Bell Helicopter, Robinson Helicopter Co., CAE, FlightSafety International, and Garmin. 

• READ MORE: FLYING Media Group Launches Internship Opportunities

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants  must be a female member of the Whirly-Girls organization in good standing. Funds are available for both experienced and newly certificated pilots and helicopter maintenance technicians as well as those seeking initial ratings.

Scholarship awards cover training expenses for courses including turbine transitions and advanced aircraft certificate, commercial flight training, software use, and advanced ratings and certificates.

In addition to financial need, scholarship winners will be selected based on a wide variety of criteria and achievements in aviation, reliability, motivation and commitment to success, dedication, and the ability to accept responsibility.

Whirly-Girls was founded in 1955 by Jean Ross Howard Phelan, who together with 12 other women helicopter pilots wanted to create an organization where female pilots could share information and camaraderie. The organization offered its first scholarship in 1968.

Applications for 2024 scholarships may be found here. The deadline to apply is October 1.

The post Whirly-Girls Accepting Applications for Helicopter Training Scholarship appeared first on FLYING Magazine.