The third annual Girls in Aviation Day has been set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Quad Cities International Airport cargo area, 3200 69th Ave., Moline.
Girls ages 5 and older are being encouraged to attend the day of activities and exploration. It is being hosted by the Quad Cities International Airport, John Deere and Elliott Aviation as part of a global celebration aimed at introducing girls to all the careers possible in STEM and aviation. Captain Latifa Gaisi of the Army National Guard and Envoy Airlines will serve as keynote speaker. The address is expected to begin at noon.
Capt. Gaisi enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2008 as a military policewoman. In 2010, she deployed to Iraq, where she rode in the back of a UH-60 Blackhawk for the first time and found her life’s passion.
In 2011, she began U.S. Army flight school, where she would train to fly the UH-60. After graduating in 2013, she pursued a career as an airline pilot.
According to a 2019 Women in Aviation International workforce report, less than 10% of pilots, maintenance technicians and airline executives are women. Today, commercial air travel is experiencing staffing shortages like never before, which means it’s crucial to diversify the industry in order to see it thrive.
Last year’s Girls in Aviation event attracted several hundred people.
Some of the agencies, schools and businesses expected to be at this year’s event include: Elliott Aviation, John Deere Aviation, Revv Aviation, ABLEd, WomenREACH, Quad Cities International Airport, Quad Cities International Airport Public Safety, QCIA Airport Services LLC, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force, Iowa State University, Iowa Lakes Community College, Department of Homeland Security, Envoy Air, UNIFI Aviation, EAA Chapter 75, Quad Cities Aero, FAA Air Traffic Control, National Weather Service – Quad Cities, CMT.
Admission to the event is free but registration is required by visiting this website. For more information, email info@qcairport.com or visit the website.
