The Lone Star Flight Museum welcomed over 450 aspiring young aviators and their parents to the museum’s Girls in Aviation presented by ExxonMobil, on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The day had a single goal: to inspire girls ages 8 to 17 toward careers in the STEM and aviation industries. From pilots, mechanics and air traffic controllers to engineers and flight attendants, the sky’s the limit!
Girls in Aviation Day blended history, science, and technology to spark curiosity with an aviation-themed curriculum. This year’s event included:
- Nearly one dozen visiting aircraft on the ramp for participants to tour and talk with pilots
- Flight simulators and hangar talks
- Hands-on mechanics experiences, drone “STEMonstrations” and a meteorology workshop
- A career fair with dozens of companies and organizations that spoke to the girls about how their jobs impact the aviation industry and how they can too
- An inspiring lunch and panel discussion sponsored by H-E-B, featuring aviation industry leaders, Captain Teresa Ferry, Commanding Officer of Navy Reserve in Houston; Nia Gilliam, United Airlines Captain and Founder of Sisters of the Skies; and Marcela White, pilot and Owner of Tavaero Jet Charter and led by special guest moderator, Dr. Shelly Lesikar DeZevallos, pilot, president of West Houston Airport, and chair of the TXDOT Aviation Advisory Committee.
Launched a decade ago by Women In Aviation International, this day celebrates the incredible achievements of women in aviation while inspiring the next generation of female aviators. 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of Girls In Aviation Day with thousands of girls participating around the world.
Girls In Aviation Day at LSFM was graciously supported by H-E-B, Tavaero Jet Charters, Universal Technical Institute, the Patricia Jayne Keefer Foundation, Million Air, Pennino & Partners, Southwest Airlines, and Women in Aviation International Houston Chapter.
For media inquiries, please contact Pennino and Partners (details above).
About the Lone Star Flight Museum
The Lone Star Flight Museum (LSFM) is a 501c3 aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to celebrate flight and achievements in Texas aviation as well as educate and engage our youth through science, technology, engineering, and math. In addition to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, the 130,000 square foot museum is home to a flying collection of rare and historic commercial, general aviation and military aircraft. Guests can experience the wonder of flight in a warbird ride and get hands-on in the high-tech Aviation Learning Center and Flight Academy. Multiple public and STEM-focused education programs create an unforgettable museum experience for visitors of all ages. Located at Ellington Airport, just 20 minutes from downtown Houston, LSFM is currently open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays Noon – 5 p.m. Tickets start at $12 with senior and military discounts. Memberships are also available. For details, visit lonestarflight.org or call 346-708-2517, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram.
About Girls in Aviation Day
Since WAI (Women In Aviation International)’s first international Girls in Aviation Day in 2015, the annual WAI event has grown every year since its first gathering of 32 events and 3,200 participants. In 2019, GIAD met more than 20,000 attendees participating in 119 events in 18 countries. In 2020 WAI launched version 1 of the Aviation for Girls app with hours of educational content reaching thousands of girls from more than 60 countries. Last year’s GIAD reached more than 16,000 participants in 19 countries at over 120 events presented worldwide.
