(rdnewsNOW/Jordan Rein)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19 and Jordan Rein

taking off!

Girls in Aviation Day soars to new heights in showcasing career options

Sep 21, 2024 | 4:24 PM

Inspiring girls and young women to take up a career in aviation was the goal of the third annual Girls in Aviation Day this weekend at Red Deer Regional Airport.

Eighteen-year-old Ivy Liu, an aspiring pilot, took a bus solo from Calgary just to attend, and said meeting a number of high-profile women from the industry was a highlight and only ups her motivation.

“To other women, it is totally achievable to be in this industry,” she said. “You are in your own power to do so.”

That’s the type of mentality event organizers love to hear as they showcase just how many different careers options there are under the umbrella of aviation.

That includes pilots, baggage handlers, aircraft maintenance engineers, working on the business side, and even aerospace, among others.

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Nancy Paish, interim CEO at Red Deer Regional Airport, says the next generation of women in aviation looks promising.

“This has grown substantially form our first year. We are well over the 800 we originally had, maybe close to 1,500,” says Paish. “The sky is the limit; there are so many opportunities people just dont know about, and this gives them a hands-on opportunity to engage with what aviation is and how much impact they can have.”

(rdnewsNOW/Jordan Rein)

Paish adds that they are aware of the rewarding fact that multiple past attendees have gone on to enter aviation school.

This is solid news given that labour shortages and issues have plagued the industry in recent years.

“This is about so much more than flying an airplane. It’s a huge industry,” she adds. “This is the third largest Girls in Aviation Day event in the world, which is incredible given our size of airport.”

The 2024 edition also brought in buses of interested youth from Edmonton and Calgary.

Aspiring pilot Ivy Liu, 18, of Calgary, attended the Girls in Aviation Day event at Red Deer Regional Airport on Sept. 21, 2024. (rdnewsNOW/Jordan Rein)

“This event is extremely important in that we have to explore and research where we’re going to head in the future,” said Red Deer City Councillor Lawrence Lee.

“It covers so many different things outside of aviation as well, including robotics with Red Deer Polytechnic, different community services, the RCMP are here and they have careers, and more. So come out next year to see how incredible it is.”

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