CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 100 girls will be in Charleston this weekend for an event at West Virginia International Yeager Airport.
Airport spokesperson Paige Withrow said they’re hosting their inaugural Girls in Aviation Day on Saturday as a way to promote aviation jobs.
“We just think it’s important for girls in our community to know that they can be a pilot too and they can be an air traffic controller. We just hope that they leave knowing that this is a career they can also do one day,” she said.
Girls ages 8-18 who participate will be able to chat with women who work in aviation.
“We’re going to have pilots available, maintenance technicians, air traffic controllers, TSA, just a lot of aviation-related jobs on hand for them to talk to other women that are in the field of aviation,” Withrow said.
There will also be other learning activities that involve STEM careers.
The event is free and will be co-hosted by the Marshall University Chapter of Women in Aviation at the Bill Noe Flight School.
The airport will host a Pilots to the Rescue Mission next Wednesday, Sept. 27. It was originally scheduled for Sunday but postponed because of weather impacting those traveling to Charleston.
When it does happen, Pilots to the Rescue will take place at the Capital Jet Center to support animals that are at risk of being euthanized due to overwhelming shelter numbers.
Swilled Dog, a West Virginia based distillery and cidery, will be partnering with the Kanawha-Charleston Human Association to get more dogs adopted.
“They’re going to take some animals from the Kanawha-Charleston Human Association to New Jersey to hopefully get these animals adopted,” Withrow said.
The airport’s canine, CRW Hercules, and Swilled Dog’s border collie, Lucy Pickles, will both be at Capital Jet Center to help bring the mission to life.
Withrow said it’s important to host events like these to show flyers and those who live in the Kanawha Valley they’re more than just an airport.
“When we have events like this, we’re just trying to be good community partners,” she said.
For more information, visit the airport’s website.