Navy

200+ Girls Learn to be Navy Pilots for Girls in Aviation Day

200 girls, ages 8 to 17, spent the night on the USS Midway to get the experience of being a Navy pilot.

It was a sleepover like no other -- hundreds of girls spent the night aboard USS Midway Museum to get the experience of being a Navy pilot as part of worldwide Girls in Aviation Day.

This is the fifth year Women in Aviation International has hosted the event.

At least 200 girls ages 8 to 17 learned how to be part of a flight deck crew and how to be a landing signal officer.

“The purpose is to inspire young girls to learn about careers in aviation, to know that they can be anything they want to be,” said Jill Meyers, Women in Aviation San Diego Chapter President.

On top of the hands-on training, the girls met women who work in the field, like air traffic controllers, helicopter pilots, and flight school instructors.

“Getting them exposed to people, women in the field that they may be in and getting to talk to them, I think, is going to be one of the most inspiring things,” Meyer said.

The girls used flight simulators to take control of F-22 stealth fighter jets and fly over the skies of San Diego.

GIRLS IN AVIATION(1)
NBC 7
A young girl using a flight simulator of an F-22 stealth fighter.

“I really wanted to come because I’ve always been interested in doing some type of aviation because my father is in the Navy and had always told me all these stories,” said Avery Rivera, an attendee.

A total of 20,000 girls worldwide took part in Girls in Aviation Day.

At least 200 girls spent the night on the USS Midway to get the experience of being a Navy pilot as part of worldwide Girls in Aviation Day. NBC 7's Chris Chan has more.
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