Young girls, heads in the clouds, will navigate Duncan Aviation this Sunday, planting the seeds for the next generation of women in aviation.
This will be the event’s 2nd year, put on by the Women in Aviation-Cornhusker Chapter with Duncan Aviation, aimed at fostering the next generation of women in aviation and STEM fields.
Families with girls age 8 to 17 are invited to explore the world of aviation and aerospace, where they’ll meet inspiring role models and explore airplanes and the LNK airport up close.
“What we know from research is that more exposure at a younger age, opens up people’s opportunities. So this is our opportunity to show young girls what it is like to be in aviation,” said Rachel Barth, Public Information Officer for the Lincoln Airport. “We’ll have women who are pilots, women from the military, air traffic controllers, women from Duncan Aviation and Lincoln airport and commute air… again, just that exposure is so important at a young age.”
Future aviators will enjoy interactive activities such as flight school simulators and a tour of the air traffic control tower. The professor of Lincoln North Star High School’s Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program speaking with girls interested in learning about aviation.
In 2022, the Pilot Institute estimated that the total percentage of professional women pilots was a little more than 6%. However, from 2015-2022, there was a 189% increase in the number of female student pilots.
Barth says this trend is one the Lincoln Airport seek to keep up.
“When I entered into the field 4 years ago, there just weren’t a lot of women that worked in aviation. When you look around and you don’t see a lot of other women in that field, it can be kind of intimidating. So this is an opportunity for women and young girls who are like minded to see that there are role models that are doing these trades. That they can do it, too,” said Barth.
The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at Duncan Aviation’s Hanger B (1761 W Kearney St.)
All participants are asked to be supervised by an escort/parent. You can register for the free event here.
Duncan Aviation