Female Flying Takes Spotlight When Women in Aviation International Convenes

Female flying will be the focus from Feb. 23-25 at Civil Air Patrol partner Women in Aviation International’s national convention in California.

Several CAP National Headquarters staff members will exhibit at and attend the conference at Long Beach Convention Center. Those in attendance are invited to stop by the CAP booth — No. 536. On Feb. 24 the conference spotlight will shift to young aspiring pilots with a local Girls in Aviation Day. National Girls in Aviation Day for girls 8-17 is set for Sept. 23.

The two organizations’ partnership, established in 2022, promotes interest in aviation, aerospace education resources, and provide opportunities for youth to experience flight.

CAP cadets 18 and younger can take advantage of WAI's free junior membership.

”This partnership really formalized collaboration between the two organizations, which occurred for a number of years. WAI’s offering of a free junior membership is an exciting opportunity for our cadets, and we truly enjoy the reciprocal promotion of aerospace education,” said Kristina Jones, CAP chief of philanthropy.

Like CAP, WAI’s diverse membership includes:

astronauts,
corporate, airline, and private pilots, maintenance technicians,
engineers, air traffic controllers,
aviation business owners,
educators, high school and university students,
airport managers, and many others.

CAP and WAI share educational resources that assist in youth outreach and cadet programs initiatives. This includes access to WAI members as guest speakers for CAP events, encampments, schools, and meetings, as well as WAI access to aerospace education lessons, including CAP’s Women in Aviation curriculum, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) exploration opportunities for Girls in Aviation events.

WAI youth joining CAP are eligible for cadet orientation flights, career exploration activities, and flight scholarships. CAP is interested in flight instructors in WAI who want to join CAP and participate in the Cadet Wings program.

With an active membership of more than 12,000, WAI provides year-round resources to assist women in aviation and to encourage young women to consider aviation as a career. WAI offers educational outreach programs to educators, aviation industry members, and young people, nationally and internationally.