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The Sky is the Limit - WAINTX 2023 Girls in Aviation Day Recap
from Issue 32
Have you ever been told the sky’s the limit? Jenn Shull is one of the few, yet growing number of female airline pilots that is putting the well-known phrase to the test! Living in Dallas, Texas, and based out of LAX, Shull is an airline pilot on the Boeing 737. Through her love for aviation, Shull has made it her life’s mission to inspire others to reach for the sky.
“I began flying 15 years ago just for fun,” says Shull.
Shull turned her dream of reaching for the sky into reality. “I went from a cubicle to the cockpit, and I’ve never looked back. I hope to educate and share my love and passion for flying; to peel back the curtain to the general public of otherwise unseen components of aviation. There is a lot of misinformation, confusion, and regulations that can make for an unnecessarily frustrating travel experience. Travel should be fun!” Adds Shull.
Shull, being a certified flight instructor, is a volunteer for the events hosted by The Women in Aviation North Texas (WAINTX). While the number of female aviators is small, the impact WAI is having on young women is growing. “There are only 6% of female airline pilots, less than 4% female aircraft mechanics, and less than 15% of female Air Traffic Controllers. Only a fraction of these percentages are Women Of Color,” says Lindsey Davis, the Women in Aviation North Texas Chapter Board President and Event Coordinator.
Women in Aviation North Texas (WAINTX) is aiming to expand its reach to more young women and teens of the next generation who aren’t usually exposed to aviation as a possible career path. “Only a fraction of these percentages are women of color. WAINTX is trying to expand its reach to get more girls and teens of the next generation exposed to these career paths that aren’t necessarily usually recommended to women. We just want to show them we did it and it’s portable for you too!” Adds Davis.
If you are not located in North Texas– here is the good news, this is an international event and it is hosted at airports around the world. Try to Google, “Girls in Aviation Day + your city,” to find the closest event location near you. On September 23rd, 2023, the North Dallas Chapter of Women in Aviation welcomed 978 young ladies ages 8-18 for Girls in Aviation Day! This fabulous event occurred in the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center, located at Dallas Executive Airport.
“Each year, approximately 175 pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, aircraft mechanics, and other aviators, volunteer and lead these young ladies through immersive activities where they can learn the phonetic alphabet, how to calculate weight, the balance of an aircraft, basics of how an aircraft engine creates power, how to dress like a pilot, and many more fun and engaging activities.” Says Shull.
“In addition to the activities, there are static displays of different aircraft, speakers, vendors, and a food truck!” Adds Shull.
Some of the 42 vendors in attendance last year included the Dallas Police Department, Envoy Air, CAE, Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, NGPA, North Texas TRACON, and many others.
This is a very special event and so fun and exciting to see the eyes of these young ladies brighten when they enter the hangar!
“Even if they don’t want to do something in aviation, you can see how this event ignites a spark in their imagination and dreams of what potential they do have and makes them aware there are so many opportunities out there to support their dreams and to reach for the skies!” Shull added.
Women in Aviation North Texas (WAINTX) is looking forward to hosting its next event on September 22, 2024.
To learn more visit the Women in Aviation North Texas (WAINTX) website at www.waintx.org.
