Women in Aviation International (WAI) is an American

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, which provides networking, education, mentoring, and

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

opportunities for women and men in careers in the aviation and aerospace industries. It aims to promote public understanding of notable American women in the aviation industry.

About

WAI has resources for members who include

astronauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

flight attendants A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...

, maintenance

technicians A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different speciali ...

, air traffic controllers, educators, students, air show performers, airport managers, business owners, and many others. The group emphasizes helping members find employment and build their careers. Membership in WAI is composed of aviation professionals, enthusiasts, students and

corporate A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and re ...

members. Local chapters work to help break cultural

stereotypes In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

about

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

and aviation careers. The organization is based in

West Alexandria, Ohio West Alexandria is a village in Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,340 at the 2010 census. History West Alexandria was laid out in 1818. The community derives its name from one of its founders, William Alexander. A post of ...

. WAI publishes a magazine called ''Aviation for Women'' which has six issues per year. WAI also sponsors

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarshi ...

for members of WAI.

History

Dean of academic support at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Peggy Baty Chabrian, had experienced problems recruiting and retaining female aviation students. In order to attract more women, she suggested creating a seminar and invited

Moya Lear Moya Marie Olsen Lear (March 27, 1915 – December 5, 2001) was an American businesswoman and philanthropist who was the wife of aviation pioneer Bill Lear. Early life and education Moya Marie Olsen was born in Chicago, the daughter of vaudevi ...

Jeana Yeager Jeana Lee Yeager (born May 18, 1952) is an American aviator. She co-piloted, along with Dick Rutan, the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in the Rutan Voyager aircraft from December 14 to 23, 1986. The flight took 9 days, 3 m ...

Shannon Lucid Shannon Wells Lucid (born January 14, 1943) is an American biochemist and retired NASA astronaut. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American and by a woman. She has flown in space five times including ...

and

Bobbi Trout Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout (January 7, 1906 – January 24, 2003) was an early American aviator and endurance flying record holder. Trout began her aviation career at the age of 16; however, her first solo flight and solo certificate was not until April ...

to speak at the first annual conference in 1990. Women responded well to the conference, and an informal organization was created. WAI was incorporated in 1994. As the founder of the WAI Conference, Chabrian was named the first full-time president and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the organization in 1996 by the board of directors.Announcing Peggy Baty founder and first President
/ref> By 1998, the group had 3,000 members. WAI sponsored the first Arab Women in Aviation show at the Dubai International Convention Center in May of 2016.

Annual conference

Each year the organization hosts an annual conference, which has grow from 150 participants in 1990 to approximately 4,500 in 2015. In 1996, there were 1,400 women attending the conference. In 2013, there were more than 3,000 attendees. Men constituted the majority of attendees in 2016, a trend noted at previous conferences. The conference includes educational workshops, networking opportunities with various aspects of the aviation industry, a scholarship awards banquet, and the annual WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Approximately a half million dollars in scholarship money was being awarded by 2004. A portion of the scholarships are awarded to men. In 1996, Robin Lamar and Marcia Buckingham sponsored an organizational meeting for aviation and mechanics at the WAI annual conference, leading to the formation of a new group, called the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance.

Girls in Aviation Day

In 2015, WAI launched Girls in Aviation Day observed on last Saturday of the month of September. The day is intended to interest girls, ages 8 to 17, in aviation careers. A

Girl Scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

patch was designed for the 2016 Girls in Aviation Day which would be given out to scouts who took part in the day's activities.

Hall of Fame

The Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame was established in 1992. Its purpose is to honor women who make significant contributions as record setters, pioneers, or innovators in the aviation and aerospace industries. WAI solicits nominations from throughout the aviation industry each year for the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame.Hall of Fame
/ref> Inductees are chosen from the nominations by a committee, "with special consideration given to individuals who have helped other women become successful in aviation or opened doors of opportunity for other women."

References

Citations

Sources

*{{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LYwfBgAAQBAJ&q=%22women%20in%20aviation%2C%20international%22&pg=PA246, title=American Women and Flight Since 1940, last=Douglas, first=Deborah, publisher=The University Press of Kentucky, year=2004, isbn=9780813190730

External links

Women in Aviation International webpage
Aviation-related professional associations Organizations established in 1990 Preble County, Ohio Non-profit organizations based in Ohio Women's organizations based in the United States Women's occupational organizations Women aviators