Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Flying Cloud's Jet Linx Hosts 1,000-Plus Participants
Delta Air Lines pilots take a break during Girls in Aviation Day for a quick group photo: Back Row (left to right): Susan Bailey Schmidt, Megan Laco, Morgan Maxwell, and Deon Mayer. Kneeling (left to right) are Deanna Kimball, and Sarah Borg, event volunteers and Stars of the North members. Taking the picture is Kallan Christman, a Delta flight attendant and Air Trek North flight instructor.
The Seventh Annual Girls in Aviation Day attracted more than 1,000 participants to a new location at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Jet Linx Minneapolis served as official site host for the Sept. 25 event.
Static aircraft displays are an important part of Girls in Aviation Day, said Mina Carlson, event director and SOTN treasurer. Pictured is a 1990 Christen Eagle II registered to Denita Ojala (Trustee) of Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
A 1978 Beechcraft King Air 200 registered to Beech Transportation, Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minnesota heads down the taxiway at Flying Cloud Airport prior to the start of Girls in Aviation Day on Sept. 25.
With 85 events around the world, Women in Aviation International's Girls in Aviation Day 2021 reached nearly 10,000 attendees. In Minnesota, more than 1,000 attendees participated in the Sept. 25 event at Flying Cloud Airport.
The Seventh Annual Girls in Aviation Day attracted more than 1,000 participants to a new location at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie.
Jet Linx Minneapolis served as official site host for the Sept. 25 event.
With 85 events around the world, Women in Aviation International's Girls in Aviation Day 2021 reached nearly 10,000 attendees.
Minnesota's Stars of the North (SOTN) chapter has partnered with Minnesota's aviation community to provide a platform for girls to learn about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and aviation.
Girls in Aviation Day attendees take part in learning activities encompassing physics, riveting, airspace, and meteorology. They learn from industry leaders who have a passion for aviation.
Static aircraft displays are an important part of Girls in Aviation Day, said Mina Carlson, event director and SOTN treasurer. "The Jet Linx campus is a newer complex at Flying Cloud," Carlson said. "We were able to entertain a total of 32 static aircraft, and showcase more exhibitors."
Exhibitors fill booths with volunteers from universities, military branches, airlines, equipment manufacturers and government who are eager to chat with attendees.
"We had several major dynamic factors to work around this year," Carlson added. "The most significant unknown was the recent uptick in COVID-19 related cases. Our host, Jet Linx, was able to rework commercial flight logistics for two days, and security was a growing concern."
Carlson said local police along with the Metropolitan Airport Commission police officers were briefed and prepped to be on-site.
It was great to see such a wide variety of aircraft as a part of the Girls in Aviation Day showcase, Carlson added. "There was a regional jet, CRJ-900, an aerobatic T-34, a UH-60 helicopter, Christian Eagle, Minnesota State Patrol observation plane, and many conversational planes."
Participants were involved in an airplane scavenger hunt which helped them explore the different aspects of the various types of aircraft in attendance.
Carlson said the Stars of the North Board has decided to keep the annual event accessible by making it free to participants.
This eliminates many financial hurdles and hopefully attracts young persons in all demographics to attend and learn more about aviation first-hand. "All sponsorship is vital to reaching the next generation," Carlson said. "The event is a catalysis of how important it is to engage, educate, and inspire the next generation. All of our sponsors are highlighted as such during the event, as well as their services and or community involvement."
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