A rescheduled date of Saturday, March 16, Women in Aviation\nInternational (WAI) corporate member Atlantic Aviation at Northeast\nPhiladelphia Airport (PNE) is hosting their first Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD)\nGreater Delaware Valley at PNE – an annual outreach event organized by\nnonprofit, Aviation Influence, Inc. (AVi). Taking place at Atlantic Aviation\u2019s\nPNE location, this event aligns with the Greater Delaware Valley on bringing\nmore aerospace opportunities to the region. GIAD aims to inspire the next generation\nof females in aviation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 800 guests are expected to attend this FREE event\nwith a plethora of aerial displays, activities, special surprises, and STEM\nexhibits. Top sponsors for this year\u2019s event are The Boeing Company with\npresenting sponsors Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia\nNortheast Airport (PNE), Leonardo, CHUBB, Clay Lacy Aviation, Aviation\nInstitute of Maintenance, FunD Av Consulting, Pilot Institute, Influential\nDrones, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and WAI\ncorporate member and venue host, Atlantic Aviation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe underrepresentation of girls and women in STEM fields\nis a global challenge,\u201d said Michele Hengey, Boeing Global Engagement Community\nInvestor. \u201cBoeing invests in young women in STEM to encourage top talent to\njoin the engineering and aerospace industries. Girls in Aviation Day and this\npartnership with Aviation Influence, Inc. allows Boeing to reach as many young\ngirls in our communities as possible. We want them to know they are the future\nof the aerospace industry and to aim high as they consider this important\ncareer pathway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hundreds of young ladies and their parents\/guardians are\ninvited to attend the upcoming \u2018Girls in Aviation Day\u2019 (GIAD) Greater Delaware\nValley event on Saturday, March 16 at Atlantic Aviation PNE. The event opens to\nregistered attendees at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. Lunch by veteran\ncaterer, Franco\u2019s of Marlton – a family owned and operated established also\ninvolved in aviation – will be served. Attendees will enjoy static displays,\nfly drones, get inside aircraft, various hands-on activities and participate in\nSTEM and aviation exhibits. Female attendees will also have a chance to\ninteract, learn from and engage with influential women across aviation, notably\na Tuskegee Nurse, airline and corporate pilots, engineers, aircraft\ntechnicians, air traffic controllers and dispatchers, wildlife experts, drone\npilots and cadets from the Civil Air Patrol, to name a few! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPNE is excited to co-host the ‘Girls in Aviation Day’ event\nwith Atlantic Aviation,\u201d added Nikki Marenic, PNE\u2019s airport operations officer.\n\u201cThis event holds great significance as it empowers young girls to dream big\nand break barriers in the aviation industry. We believe that diversity and\ninclusivity are vital for the growth and progress of any industry, and we are\nproud to be part of an initiative that encourages girls to pursue their\npassions fearlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A special highlight to this year\u2019s event is the historic\nWorld War II combat veteran aircraft, C-47 \u201cPlacid Lassie.\u201d Placid Lassie is\nthe lead aircraft for the D-Day Squadron\u2019s upcoming 2024 Legacy Tour, involving\ncommemorations across Europe this May and June for the 80th anniversary of\nD-Day and 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. A symbol for WWII education\nand honoring the Greatest Generation, the Placid Lassie crew are made up of\nseasoned and skilled corporate, airline and recreational pilots, mechanics, and\nhistorians ready to engage with a young audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving a vintage aircraft on display among Boeing\u2019s large\npresence, the general aviation community and other aerial displays really sets\nthe stage to cover our past, present and future of aviation in one show,\u201d\nshared Lyndse Costabile, sponsor of the event and co-founder of Aviation\nInfluence. Lyndse also serves as the executive director of the D-Day Squadron,\nleading the organization\u2019s work to assemble more than a dozen DC-3\/C-47\naircraft to Europe for the upcoming commemorations. \u201cOur GIAD event illustrates\nhow many organizations and companies gather for the greater good \u2013 exposing\nthis industry to young minds with education at our core.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GIAD aims to address the aviation workforce shortage by\nintroducing young women to careers in science, technology, engineering, and\nmath (STEM) and their role in aviation. Over the last four years, Aviation\nInfluence has worked tirelessly to provide more access and scholarships for\nyoung people to enter the sector, specifically in STEM and aviation fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to fulfill our promise to the Philadelphia\narea and bring GIAD to PNE this year,\u201d added Costabile. \u201cLast year, our GIAD\nevent produced more than $12,000 in scholarships, and we expect to exceed that\nfigure this year. We are grateful to our partners and hosts for stepping up in\nboth 2023 and 2024, bringing impact and excitement to young ladies planning to\nattend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a corporate host, Atlantic Aviation is joined by other\nindustry organizations planning to exhibit including Boeing, the Federal\nAviation Administration, PNE and PHL airports, Leonardo, Civil Air Patrol,\nParts Life, Beyond Aviation, Black Women in Aviation (BWIA), Pilot Institute,\nInfluential Drones, and Aviation Institute of Maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girls ages 8-17 are encouraged to attend. Additional information including logistics and registration information can be found by visiting 2024 RSVP for GIAD Event<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n