March 18, 2017

A Fun Day for Kids and Pilots at "Women in Aviation and Space" Heritage Day at Air and Space Museum

Pilots from throughout the United States volunteered their time and expertise to encourage young girls to consider aviation as a career on Saturday, March 18, as part of “Women in Aviation and Space” Heritage Day at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The event, held in cooperation with Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, celebrated the significant contributions women have made in aviation and space. Several pilots—ALPA executive vice president F/O Karen Lacy (ExpressJet), F/O Audra Alseike (Frontier), F/O Jackie Battipaglia (United), and F/O Kaori Paris (United)—spoke with and encouraged attendees to consider becoming an airline pilot as a career.

“Women represent a small percentage of airline pilots, but that number is growing,” said Lacy. “We want to see to it that the trend continues upward—and the best way to do that is plant the seed early that it is possible, shower it with encouragement, and watch them bloom in future aviators.”

Alongside ALPA were representatives from the Airline Dispatchers Federation, Association of Flight Attendants, and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, who also spoke to the young attendees about the benefits of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and, of course, aviation.

Engaging with over a thousand children, the event’s turnout “. . . exceeded our expectations, and it always great to see kids excited about flying, and to talk with them about the potential they have. We have a lot of career options in our industry, and they got to learn about them all from the people out in the field actually doing the job on a daily basis,” said Captain Paul Ryder (ExpressJet), ALPA national resource coordinator. “It is refreshing to see their smiles and the enthusiasm each of them brings.”

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