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More funding available for girls interested in aviation: iWOAW

Wendy Rose, an Alabama resident, never thought of learning to fly before she heard of the First to Solo Challenge. Instead, she focused on giving opportunities to her daughter, Dana, who dreams of becoming an astronaut. It was her husband who learned about Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week and the First to Solo Challenge in early 2015 who suggested that she takes on the challenge.

“I wasn’t sure at first. However, I decided to set my goal on becoming a pilot and fly my little girl high in the sky, to be closer to the stars, until she can get there and higher on her own,” said Rose.

Seven weeks after her first small aircraft flight experience, Rose became the first woman among eligible First to Solo Challenge candidates to solo. She won $1,500 in flight training cash and a Sennheiser headset. She now wants to become a flight instructor.

In 2016, iWOAW will offer flight training cash to two additional eligible women who solo promptly after discovering flight during Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week, bringing the number of annual recipients to three. The winner, first finalist, and second finalist will receive $2,500, $1,500, and $500 in flight training cash respectively.

Our annual exit surveys among women and girls who attend Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week activities consistently show that 72% of them never thought of seeking information about aviation opportunities prior to hearing about the week’s activities. The surveys also show that their exposure to aviation during the week changes their perceptions dramatically. Indeed, 78% of the respondents state that they are considering aviation for pleasure or a career as a result of the experience.

The First to Solo Challenge is designed to turn enthusiasm into tangible action. It provides a cash incentive for women to start flying lessons promptly after their first small aircraft flight experience during their week.

Due to the exponential growth of the Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week movement and its worldwide scope, iWOAW made it a priority to expand the First to Solo Challenge rewards to incentivize more aviation vocations among the female population and promptly close the wide gap between genders in aviation.

“Most outreach initiatives are restricted to age groups that are not in position to act for at least another decade,” says Mireille Goyer, iWOAW’s Founder and President. “Statistic data shows that nearly 50% of all pilots, male and female, learn to fly in their 20s, not their teenage years. The Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week initiative breaks ranks with the standard industry approach by targeting girls of all ages, worldwide.”

To become eligible to win the First to Solo Challenge 2016 prizes, women must go on a first small aircraft experience by attending an official Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week activity or buying a discovery flight at their local flight training center from March 7 to March 13, 2016 and then report their flight at the week’s official website,www.WomenOfAviationWeek.org, before March 15, 2016.