The 6th annual Fly It Forward® Challenge will include a personal call to action among the pilot population through a social media campaign.
Since the 1980s, the female pilot population has been stagnating at unbearably low levels. Out of more than 1 million pilots worldwide, there are only 50,000 female pilots. Other technical fields in the air and space industry are equally lacking female presence.
Studies and surveys have demonstrated that a key barrier to women seeking these jobs is the industry’s ‘for male only’ image which drives qualified female candidates to not even consider the opportunities available.
The Fly It Forward® Challenge addresses this perception issue by inviting girls and women to come to airports and other industry facilities and see for themselves what it is all about.
Choosing the air and space industry over other industries starts with a passion for flight. The Fly It Forward® social media campaign intends to personally engage active pilots to spark vocations among the female population by inviting girls of all ages to experience flight in a small aircraft for the first time.
Pilots who take the Fly It Forward® Challenge have two options: conduct a Fly It Forward® flight or fund one.
Women have never hesitated to lay down their lives for their countries. During WWI, Marie Marvingt heroically flew over a German military base in occupied territory to bomb it and, in doing so, became the first woman to fly in combat, worldwide.
To salute the women who have served and thank those who are serving today, pilots participating in the 2015 Fly It Forward® Challenge will prioritize inviting non-flying female military personnel and their daughters.
Any female introduced to flight during the Fly It Forward® Challenge may become eligible to win the First to Solo™ challenge’s grand prize, valued at $2,495 in 2015. Previous grand prize winners used their prize to advance their quest for a commercial pilot career.
Will you do it? Will you take the Fly It Forward® Challenge and contribute to doubling the pilot population in your country?