Aviation-focused career fair for young women to take place in Prince Edward County
This fall, girls and women interested in the aviation industry are invited to a free event at the Prince Edward Flying Club (PEFC), Find YOUR Wings, aimed at introducing them to possible career opportunities.
The half-day event is designed to help encourage women to explore professions they might have dreamed of but may have been afraid to try, as well as those who want to learn about jobs they may not even know exist, according to a release from PEFC. The organizer said the event will be held rain or shine, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at the Flying Club, 343 County Rd 22, Picton at Base31.
“The program’s goal is to inspire girls and young women to broaden their horizons through dialogue with representatives from a variety of aviation-related organizations,” said Lola Reid Allin, PEFC member and Find YOUR Wings event co-organizer.
“Although an American air carrier hired their first female pilot in 1934, it would be four decades before the second female was hired. In 1973, Rosella Bjornson became the first woman in Canada to be hired as a commercial airline pilot,” Allin continued. “Today, women remain under-represented in commercial aviation, with a worldwide average of six percent. However, those female pilots are determined to inspire the next generation with events like Find YOUR Wings. Our motto is: You can’t be what you can’t see.”
According to the release, visitors can chat with pilots and learn about various aviation-related companies and organizations such as the Air Cadets, RCAF, museums, flight schools, universities and colleges, and female pilot support organizations such as the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, Elevate Aviation, and the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
There will be short presentations — 30 minutes plus Q&A sessions — by women involved in aviation-related careers throughout the afternoon. Visitors can also walk the flight line to see static displays of local light aircraft owned by PEFC members, helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, and an RCAF CF-18 cockpit. In addition, female firefighters and OPP officers from Prince Edward County will be in attendance with fire trucks and cruisers. A food truck will also be on site.
Learn more on the PEFC website