AAR Corporation and the Women in Aviation International\nGreater Oklahoma City Metro Chapter will join Will Rogers World Airport, the\n137th Special Operations Wing, the Air and Space Forces Association of\nOklahoma, Boeing, Sooner Flight Academy and the Oklahoma Department of\nAerospace and Aeronautics to host the first Girls in Aviation Day in central\nOklahoma. To be held at AAR Hangar 2, located at the company\u2019s Maintenance Base\nfacility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the Women in Aviation International event\nwill focus on introducing young girls to the exciting field of aviation,\naerospace, and aeronautics, educating them on career opportunities and bringing\nawareness to the many diverse fields within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAAR Corporation has a need to grow their future workforce\ndue to an expansion at their Oklahoma City facility, and our company is\ninvested in the community to develop the next generation of aviation\ntechnicians and professionals,\u201d said Levi Lentz, General Manager of\nAAR-Oklahoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historical Hangar 2 will be the site of the Central Oklahoma\nGirls in Aviation Day which will take place on September 23rd with an opening\naviation rally being held at 10:00 am. Featured speakers will be Commissioner\nof Labor Leslie Osborn, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics\nCommission Grayson Ardies, State Senator Paul Rosino, Director Jeff Mulder with\nWill Rogers World Airport, and Jennifer Wong with Boeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, it\u2019s\nimportant that we capture these young women early so they can explore the\ncareer opportunities that are open to them across the State of Oklahoma, the\nnation, and the world. The greater Oklahoma City area has a one-hundred-year\nhistory in aviation so events like these are important to remind young citizens\nof our aeronautical history and our optimistic future,\u201d stated Jeff Mulder,\nDirector of Airports for the City of Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore than 400 Central Oklahoma-area girls are expected to\nattend the inaugural event and have the opportunity to hear from aviation\nleaders,\u201d said WAI Oklahoma City President, Young Chappell, a Boeing aerospace\nengineer. Chappell will champion the event supported by the WAI Oklahoma City\nmembers, 137th Special Operations Wing airmen, AAR Corporation, and Boeing\nvolunteers. \u201cWe are so excited about this opportunity to give back to the\ncommunity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paula Kedy, Aero Education Coordinator for the Oklahoma\nAeronautics Commission leads the charge for the AOPA \u201cYou Can Fly\u201d program\nacross the state. Kedy is responsible for developing statewide programs and\nmeaningful STEM opportunities such as various aviation day events for students\nand educators. \u201cOklahoma is already focusing on aviation in high schools,\ncareer techs, and colleges, so we are very excited to support this special\nevent to inspire young girls to seek out programs available to them through secondary\nand post-secondary education. There will be a great rotation of booths and\nstatic displays for them to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girls will engage in hands-on learning about aviation\nincluding piloting, aircraft maintenance, the physics of flight, flight safety,\naviation medicine, military aviation, and air traffic control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To register for this free event visit: https:\/\/waiokc.org\/girls-in-aviation-day-2023\/<\/a>. The event will sell out at 400 persons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit organization\ndedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation career\nfields and interests. We provide\neducational, networking, and volunteer activities for our members throughout\nthe year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about the Oklahoma City Chapter of\nWomen in Aviation, visit https:\/\/waiokc.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n