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| By Carmelo Turdo |
St. Louis University's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science hosted Girls In Aviation Day October 28 at their St. Louis Downtown Airport flight operations facility. Students from area school districts and other organizations, including Girl Scout Troop 2184, arrived for registration at 9:00 A.M. to begin a fun and informative day of aviation activities. The Aero Experience coverage begins with the arrival of the students and a visit by the St. Louis University mascot, the Billiken.
Several aircraft were on display outside of the hangar, and the students were invited to climb aboard and talk to the instructors. Included here are the school's Diamond DA-20, Piper Archer and Piper Seminole twin. Short of actually flying, the best way to learn about flight is to be around aircraft and get your questions answered by experienced pilots. Also on display was the St. Louis Downtown Airport Fire Department Panther firefighting apparatus hosted by Airport Director Sandra Shore.
The students were invited to fly the Frasca TruFlite simulators. The simulators can be configured for single and twin-engine aircraft to match those used in the St. Louis University fleet. The view outside of the cockpit is presented on three high-resolution flat screens, giving the illusion of three-dimensional flight. Flight training in the simulators is concentrated on instrument training, though training in specific aspects of visual flight and air traffic control communications may also be conducted.
Students attending the Girls In Aviation Day event visited with local aviation professionals in the exhibits positioned in the flight operations hangar. These industry experts offered encouragement, practical advice and guidance to the students in a no-pressure environment. Even as the aviation industry is in dire need of additional pilots and technicians, currently women still comprise only about 7% of the U.S. pilot population (2021 FAA data). This may be the best opportunity in generations for women to make significant inroads into this career field. Also, a panel of St. Louis University Aviation students discussed their flight training experiences in the university environment and answered questions from the students.
The keynote speaker for the afternoon session was Kat Charnel, a flight attendant at Delta Airlines and commercial pilot based in Atlanta, GA. A daughter of Haitian immigrants, her inspirational story of becoming a flight attendant for a major airline and setting a course for learning to fly herself by winning four scholarships along the way captured the students' imagination. She gives back to the community by providing career pathway resources through her website, Melanated Aviators, and by inspiring the next generation of female aviators at personal appearances around the country. Her motivation remains rooted to her love of travel, and when no destination is too far, nothing is too hard to accomplish.
The Aero Experience thanks St. Louis University, Kat Charnel, the aviation industry exhibitors, and everyone who contributed to the success of the 2022 Girls In Aviation Day.
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