Girls Can Fly event looks to shoot next generation to new heights

Families came together at the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Saturday for Girls Can Fly, an event tailored to young girls exploring aviation.

Families flocked to the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Saturday for Girls Can Fly, an annual event held by the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) aimed at celebrating aviation while also inspiring girls to take flight within the industry.

Participants took part in various activities throughout the day, including flight simulators, equipment demonstrations and aircraft tours.

WWFC General Manager Ryan Labelle said the goal is to help families better understand what a career in aviation can look like.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for families with young children, especially young ladies interested in aviation or exploring the opportunities that an aviation career could present,” Labelle said.

A planned highlight — free introductory flights for the first 275 registered participants — was cancelled due to heavy rain.

Despite the setback, organizers said the overall vibe of the event remained sky high.

“Despite the rain and the cold conditions, I think everyone’s having a great time,” said Julie Murdy, WWFC marketing and communications manager. “This year, we had almost 7,000 people trying to get a flight out of those 275 seats, so you can really see the engagement and the excitement around aviation.”

The event also gave young minds a chance to interact and connect with professionals in different areas of the industry, creating exposure that some before never had.

Air Canada pilot Contessa Bishop says the goal is to increase visibility for women in aviation roles.

“When I was a student, we didn’t have anything like this at all. There was no there was no exposure for the young girls,” Bishop said. “The exciting part about this is that we do see young ladies come back year over year, and we have seen [those] young ladies come into the industry and thrive in the industry.”

Bishop said one of the key messages is that aviation is not a male-dominated space.

“There are women pilots, there are women aircraft maintenance engineers and there are women air traffic controllers. And there’s many, many other jobs in the industry that are available for women,” she said.

WWFC said the Girls Can Fly event has run for more than a decade and continues to focus on increasing awareness of aviation pathways for young people.