Girls Can Fly event encourages women and girls to get involved in aviation
In an effort to promote women in aviation, thousands attended the annual Girls Can Fly event Saturday hosted by the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC).
Plane enthusiasts were welcomed to tour the flight centre at the Region of Waterloo International Airport, meet some of the women pilots and learn more about the industry.
“We have Jazz, Porter and Sunwing Airlines all here with big planes,” said Julie Mudry, marketing and communications manager with WWFC. “They are having tours of the cabin, as well you can sit in the cockpit, you can get a photo with the pilots. All female crews are here so we really want to inspire the young people, specifically girls in the community.”
Though all were encouraged to attend, girls aged eight to 18 were also invited to take part in a free flight.
“We have about 275 young ladies going up in planes and helicopters. We had a registration in late April and it filled up in about eight minutes so all spots were full and our waitlist was full,” said Mudry.
Though a final tally of attendees isn’t available at this time, organizers believe thousands came out.
“Last year we saw about 1,500 [people], I think this year there’s definitely more. I would said at least 2,000,” said Mudry.
The Waterloo Warbirds were also there for the event doing flyovers throughout the day.
“It’s to raise awareness for the industry,” added Mudry. “Before I started here, I didn’t even know that we did pilot training in Waterloo Region… We have about 700 students at our flight training centre here so it’s good for people to know that we are here and that this is a career choice.”
The weather helped with the turnout but according to Mudry, many families attended to try out something different.
“It’s something new. Some kids, they’ve never sat in an airplane before or went for a flight,” she said. “It’s really cool to see their faces and their smiles. Specifically the girls when they come off their flights, they’re just glowing and that’s what we’re all here for today. That is the goal, to just inspire this next generation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.