The Ladies of the Air

Women in Aviation International Mission Statement:

“At WAI, we strive to encourage, empower, and educate all those whose interests, lives, and work involve aviation and aerospace without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, or point of view. We know with certainty that our shared passion for aviation transcends any differences among us.”

Women in Aviation International (WAI) is a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting and developing women in all aviation and aerospace career fields and interests by providing resources to assist and inspire women to pursue aviation careers. WAI has a varied membership: astronauts, pilots, maintenance technicians, engineers, air traffic controllers, business owners, educators, journalists, flight attendants, high school and university students, air show performers, airport managers, and numerous others.

Furthermore, WAI encourages public understanding of the achievements and roles of women in aviation through the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame program. Other benefits that the organization offers to its members are access to Aviation for Women – the official bimonthly publication of Women in Aviation International, to WAI Connect – the monthly electronic newsletter, and access to the Annual conference for WAI members in all fields of aviation and aerospace, access to local chapters access around the world, educational outreach programs, legal advisory program, and scholarships. Scholarship awards are a major benefit of WAI membership and help members worldwide reach their goals and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have dreamed about.

The organization currently has more than 15,000 active members. At its last Women in Aviation Annual Conference held in March in Nashville, Tennessee, Women in Aviation International welcomed more than 4,000 people to its meeting, continuing thus the focus of Women in Aviation to shine a light on all opportunities in aviation. In the genuine spirit of the organization to celebrate women’s accomplishments in the aviation and aerospace field, astronaut Wally Funk, who in July 2021 flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard with Jeff Bezos on its inaugural ride into space, was the start of the event. Funk was part of a group of women known as the Mercury 13 who trained for space flight in the 1960s and successfully underwent the same physiological screening tests as had the astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959, for Project Mercury. Unfortunately, eventually did not get to go on any mission because the privately funded project was dispersed.

WAI also offers educational programs to young people, nationally and internationally, through the Girls in Aviation Day program for girls ages 8 to 17, which was even. For this purpose, WAI even launched Girls in Aviation Day Via App – FLYING Magazine. The mobile app contains much free content, including aviation career videos, hands-on activities, virtual tours of aviation museums, and a copy of Aviation for Girls magazine. Young people can also apply for WAI scholarships through the app and meet career role models and others who inspire the aviation and aerospace group.