Girls look over an airplane on display during the Girls in Aviation event on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Quad Cities International Airport. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Many women and men in the aviation field had one big goal on Saturday, Sept. 23: Use the Girls in Aviation Day event that took place at the Quad Cities International Airport to show girls that careers in aviation are waiting for them. Sometimes, that was a challenge. Liza Whiles of Revv Aviation was one […]
Many women and men in the aviation field had one big goal on Saturday, Sept. 23: Use the Girls in Aviation Day event that took place at the Quad Cities International Airport to show girls that careers in aviation are waiting for them.Sometimes, that was a challenge.Liza Whiles of Revv Aviation was one of those who took up that challenge. Ms. Whiles, who was working at the Revv table at the airport on Saturday, greeted hundreds of girls and told them about aviation opportunities.
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Latifa Gaisi, who was Saturday’s keynote speaker, was one of several pilots trying to teach girls about aviation jobs. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Latifa Gaisi talks to a young girl and her mother on Saturday during a Girls in Aviation event. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Liza Whiles, at left, talks about job opportunities at Revv Aviation at the Girls in Aviation event. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Girls climb into a plane on Saturday.
Ashley Hanson tells girls about the opportunities in Deere & Co’s drone program.
Two girls visit one of the aviation business tables during the Girls in Aviation Day events.
Air Force Sgt. Cody Puffer shows a jet engine to visitors.
Girls listen to Latifa Gaisi give the keynote address during the Girls in Aviation Day on Saturday. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Not all them were initially interested. She said she came across at least four future paleontologists who weren’t sure they should go after a career in aviation.“I told them you can fly your friends to dig sites. … And there’s more to aviation than being a pilot; anything can be related to aviation,” Ms. Whiles added during Saturday’s third annual Aviation Day which was held in the cargo area at the airport.It attracted several hundred girls and their parents (and sometimes their little brothers), along with many like Ms. Whiles from various sectors of the aviation field. Girls in Aviation events also were held Saturday in about 30 countries and at about 120 sites across the U.S., according to the Women in Aviation International Facebook page.Saturday was the third time the event was held in the Quad Cities. Last year’s event there attracted at least 300 girls. There were about 500 girls signed up to attend this year. Many could be seen sitting in planes and having their pictures taken in front of the aircraft. They also visited many area business reps who told them about careers in the aviation field.Robyn Shannon of Davenport has been to all three Girls in Aviation events in the Quad Cities. She said on Saturday she was very impressed that the event has continued to grow and attract more girls every year.“This is awesome. I’ve been here every year. … Look at this. It’s 11:30 and this place is packed,” said the Davenport woman, who was with her daughter, Elizabeth, 7. “I love aviation. I hope to get my daughters interested in it.”On Saturday morning, Elizabeth had just visited the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 75 table. She was told that next year, when she turns 8 years old, she will be able to go on an airplane ride as part of a youth program with the local chapter.“Next year, I can fly a plane,” she proudly said.Many of the pilots and aviation leaders at Saturday’s event said they want to reach young girls like Elizabeth and get them excited about aviation.Latifa Gaisi, who was Saturday’s keynote speaker, was one of several pilots trying to teach girls about aviation jobs.Ms. 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 helicopter for the first time and found her life’s passion. She became an Army helicopter pilot, and later became an airline pilot with Envoy Airlines. She will soon become a pilot with American Airlines.She was at Saturday’s event, dressed in her pilot’s uniform.“The girls just need to see a woman in uniform to see it is possible. … Not all of the people in the cockpit look like me,” said Ms. Gaisi, who added that only about 7% of the nation’s commercial pilots are women.During her keynote, Ms. Gaisi also told the girls about her journey to becoming a pilot and the challenges that come with her job. For instance, she lives in Washington, D.C., but her job is based out of Florida, which can lead to a hectic schedule. But she said the work is rewarding. “There are so many things in the field you can do today,” she added.In addition to telling girls about jobs in commercial airlines, there were many other aviation sectors represented Saturday. For example, Ashley Hanson told girls about the opportunities in Deere & Co’s drone program. She gave demonstration flights of drones and was busy much of the day showing girls the different types of drones and how they are used at Deere.In another room in the cargo area, U.S. Air Force recruiters TSgt. Allison Thodos and SSgt. Cody Puffer showed girls what the military has to offer. Ssgt. Puffer demonstrated a jet engine, and TSgt. Thodos fielded questions about what the Air Force could do for them one day. “We want to open their minds to opportunities,” she said.Some of the popular questions she got included: “What is the Space Force?” and “Are girls allowed to do the same jobs as the guys?”Some of the agencies, schools and businesses that were 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.
