It is no secret that the aviation industry is beginning to face a massive shortage of pilots. Professionals, industry leaders, and news organisations all agree. It is also no secret that aviation is a male-dominated industry and female pilots make up only 6% of the pilot workforce. As pilot supply is now a global challenge, this issue creates a unique opportunity where recruiting women and other underrepresented groups to the cockpit is an important part of the solution, giving the next generation an incredible opportunity to change the dynamic and traditional culture within the industry.
We all know misogyny is real, and it is important to remember that it not only affects the way men think about female pilots, but also the way female pilots think about themselves. It is in this area that the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre goes above and beyond every year. Girls Can Fly is an event hosted by WWFC every year, being the pinnacle of demonstrating support for inspiring the next generation of aviators, inviting women into the industry, and sharing passion for an inclusive, diverse, equitable workplace.
As a recent graduate of UW’s Science and Aviation program, I have witnessed the disparity of female pilots, along with many of my classmates, and many of us jumped at the opportunity to volunteer and help run the event. It was amazing to see how many of my peers were willing to volunteer their time in order to help create an equitable industry and share their passion and excitement with the girls who will become the future of the aviation industry.
As a volunteer, I assisted with facilitating the event, helping exhibitors set up, marshalling aircraft, however my favourite part of being a volunteer at this event was being able to interact with the guests. Being able to meet with young aspiring pilots who shared their inspirations with me made me overjoyed. It reminded me of myself as a child, as becoming a pilot seemed like an impossible mountain to climb. Being able to converse with the young aspiring pilots, seeing the smiles on their faces as they got in a small plane for the first time, or were able to sit at the controls of a 737 was incredibly heartwarming and inspiring. My experience as a volunteer truly filled me with confidence and excitement about the future of the aviation industry.
Aside from volunteering at the event, just being present at the event was an experience of its own. Seeing Porter Airlines, Air Canada Express, Sunwing Airlines, and many more operators and exhibitors all come together in one place to inspire the next generation of pilots was genuinely awe-inspiring. The event truly made me feel like a child again. It further ignited my own passion for aviation, and I can confidently say it had a similar effect on the thousands of attendees that made the trip to Waterloo that day. I genuinely cannot think of the last time I experienced being among such a massive amount of people that shared the same excitement and passion for aviation. It is something that brings the community together, and it was truly an amazing experience to be part of.
As the day wound down, me and all the other volunteers stood and watched as all the aircraft left the event to go back to Toronto. Even though the majority of us are pilots, and have already been involved in the aviation industry for quite some time, the wonder and excitement never fades. I cannot wait to continue sharing this passion with the next generation of pilots!