Girls in Aviation Day is Saturday at Pierpont College’s Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on September 22, 2022
Businesses across the area are coming together to host the first North Central West Virginia Girls in Aviation Day event this Saturday, September 24, from 10am to 2pm. Part of an international movement, the day is designed to get young girls interested in the aviation industry.
Started by the Women in Aviation International organization in 2015, Girls in Aviation Day is celebrated annually on the same day by 
thousands across the globe. This will be the first year that a related event is being held in North Central West Virginia.
thousands across the globe. This will be the first year that a related event is being held in North Central West Virginia.
“Women make up less than 5% of air transport pilots and less than 3% are FAA certified Aviation Maintenance Technicians,” said Tracy Miller, President of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex. “These metrics have not changed over the past 60 years. Events like Girls In Aviation Day are one important way to bring women from our CKB complex together to show young ladies in our area that women belong in any aviation job that they dream to fulfill.”
Aimed at middle and high school aged girls, the event will host a variety of local aviation-related business and hands-on activities. Participants will learn about the many different aspects of aviation and the types of careers the industry offers. Activities will include flight simulators, static display of aircraft, drones, paint-a-plane, a dress-up aviation photo booth, and more. There will be several prize giveaways, and one person will win a free Discovery Flight. The first 250 girls in attendance will receive swag bags sponsored by the participating entities.
“I’m really looking forward to being a part of this event,” said Nicole Jones, who leads the airport engineering team at The Thrasher Group, one of the event sponsors. “Opportunities like this that show girls the possibilities in the aviation world are a really crucial step towards getting more women into the industry. As an engineer who works for airports, I’m excited to share a different perspective of what a career in aviation can look like.”
Other participating businesses include the North Central West Virginia Airport, Aurora Flight Sciences – A Boeing Company, MHIRJ Aviation, Pratt Whitney, Engine Management Specialist, EASW, HQ Aero, Civil Air Patrol, WV National Guard, Katherine Johnson NASA IV&V Education Resource Center, Fairmont State University, Pierpont Community and Technical College, West Virginia University, and more.
The event takes place at Pierpont Community & Technical College’s Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center, 1050 East Benedum Industrial Drive in Bridgeport.
Please Like the event’s Facebook page for updates: https://fb.me/e/3TExnY34o
Editor's Note: Pictured, foreground, is Tracy Miller, President of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex, and Nicole Jones, who leads the airport engineering team at The Thrasher Group.
