In 1910, Raymonde De Laroche became the first female to obtain a pilots license. By the end of that year, only 3% of pilots were women with that figure only climbing to 6% in the current era. As the pilot population in general continues to shrink, as evidenced in the annual figures released by the FAA, the drive to increase interest in aviation is in need of a jump start.
Mierelle Goyer created the Centennial of Women Pilots as part of a campaign to introduce women to aviation. The goal of the campaign is to introduce a record number of women during 2010 via flights with current female pilots, though male pilots are also welcome to assist.
Karlene Petitt, a Delta Airlines pilot flying the Airbus A330 aircraft, has spearheaded a drive of her own in association with the Centennial of Women Pilots campaign. Karlene has started the 'Fly it Forward' campaign and is hosting an event at her local airport, Renton Municipal Airport (RNT) on December 5, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. local time. During this time, volunteer pilots will provide free flights to local girls and women as part of the overall Centennial of Women Pilots campaign. Karlene is aiming to have Renton named as the most female friendly airport in the world by flying as many women and girls as possible that day.
When asked why she was focusing so much energy and time on this event, Karlene stated that 'The greatest thing about aviation is the camaraderie found among pilots, a group of people who live a passion and love to share it. This Centennial of Women Pilots Event has taken me back to the reason why I learned to fly, and why I'm flying it forward.'
One of the participating pilots, Joyce, also stated that 'Aviation is my passion and I always reach out to anyone who is interested in flying, but put special attention into attracting women. Women are, and historically have been, a small percentage of the pilot population and I'd like to see those numbers grow. Flying, for career or personal recreation, opens whole new worlds of opportunity.' She continued on saying that 'showing a child their home from the air and watching their excitement and wonder is a joy.'
Women and girls participating on the 5th will receive one trip around the 'pattern' at the airport and the flight should last approximately 10 minutes or less. Participants will receive a picture in front of the airplane as well as an electronic certificate from the Centennial of Women Pilots honoring their participation in the campaign. Girls between the ages of 8 and 17 may also qualify to be included in the EAA Young Eagles program during the flight if any of the pilots participating are also registered with EAA and the Young Eagles program.
Karlene also added that 'as a passenger participant in the Fly it Forward campaign, on December 5th, you'll be entered into a $100 drawing, honoring the 100th anniversary of the first women pilot, Raymonde De Laroche.'
Those attending the event are requested to meet at Boeing Employees Flying Association (BEFA). BEFA is located at the airport, specifically, 840 West Perimeter Road, Renton Washington. Please contact Karlene if you are planning to attend to set a time for your flight. Her contact information is located in the press release regarding the event. You may also visit her post on her blog 'Flight to Success' to respond in the comments there as well obtain more information on participating in the flight activities on December 5th.
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