In celebration of Girls in Aviation Day (Sept. 24), Delta Airlines took 120 girls, who attend aviation schools and partner non-profit programs, to the sky aboard a charter flight from New York to Washington, D.C. as part of its Women Inspiring our Next Generation (WING) program.
Each an every aspect of the flight was led by women including charter coordination and dispatchers to below-wing agents and pilots. For the second year in a row a group of girls joined the female employees to discuss career opportunities in aviation and STEM. Some of the girls in attendance even experienced flight for the first time.
One of the many women who participated in the day was aviation pioneer Joy Walker, the airline’s first female pilot. Joy began flying for the airline in 1973, fighting gender stereotypes while pursuing her love of aviation and adventure, and she’s still doing her part to achieve parity in a mostly male-dominated industry.
“It’s on us to encourage women to get involved in aviation,” Joy said in a press release. “We’ve got to remove the stumbling blocks. For so long there were so few women involved in aviation and its building, but it has taken too long for women to become aware of the opportunities. We have to help them become aware.”
Check out the awesome video above, and to learn more about careers in aviation visit Women in Aviation.