The Girl Scouts of Calhoun County with Girls With Wings founder, Lynda Meeks, at Calhoun County Airport.
“Where would you like to fly today?” Girls With Wings (GWW) founder, Lynda Meeks, asked The Girl Scouts of Calhoun County. The girls stood before aeronautical maps, charts and flight instruments necessary to learn to fly at Calhoun County Airport on Saturday, May 7th.
After deciding Disney World was a perfect flying destination, Lynda began the interactive GWW presentation teaching the girls “everything” they need to know to be a pilot. This fun hands-on format has been given to over three thousand girls. “We can educate our girls as we entertain them,” affirms Lynda. “They love the chance to learn something new!”
Lynda, an 18 year career pilot for the military and the airlines, has been staying “in the air” by spreading her message that “Girls need Flight Plans, not Fairy Tales!”™ By the end of the presentation each of the girls was able to make radio calls and fly their pretend planes to Florida. Says troop leader Kelly, the girls learned “if they wanted to be a pilot there is nothing stopping them – opened another whole field to them. Young girls need to know that just because most pilots are men doesn’t mean women can’t do it.”
Each of the girls received a patch for their vest and a take home bag with more information about aviation as well as a chance to sit in a Cessna 172 and handle the controls. “I don’t usually have the ability to take the girls out to sit in an actual airplane after the presentation. To see their eyes light up when I told them they would was really something special,” said Lynda. “Thanks to the folks at Calhoun Air Center for making that possible.”
GIRLS WITH WINGS:
Girls With Wings, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization using women in aviation to inspire girls to achieve their full potential via an interactive website, flight training scholarships and presentations to girls’ groups and other organizations. If you wish to schedule a presentation, make a donation or receive further details, please contact Lynda Meeks at LMeeks@girlswithwings.com or 216.577.6131.
Lynda Meeks shows Girl Scout Keira Fleming how the controls work on the Cessna 172 SP.
