<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
>
<channel>
<title>girls in aviation Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
<atom:link href="https://usustatesman.com/tag/girls-in-aviation/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/girls-in-aviation/</link>
<description>USU's Student Newspaper</description>
<lastBuildDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 02:56:47 +0000</lastBuildDate>
<language>en-US</language>
<sy:updatePeriod>
hourly </sy:updatePeriod>
<sy:updateFrequency>
1 </sy:updateFrequency>
<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator>
<image>
<url>https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-4.33.29-pm-32x32.png</url>
<title>girls in aviation Archives - The Utah Statesman</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/girls-in-aviation/</link>
<width>32</width>
<height>32</height>
</image>
<item>
<title>Aviation Week taking off for its third year with silent auction, helicopters, recital of drones</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/aviation-week-taking-off-for-its-third-year-with-silent-auction-helicopters-recital-of-drones/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ella Stott]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:50:04 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aviation Week]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[aviation week banquet]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Drones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fixed wing]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls in aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[helicopter landing]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[helicopter quad]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[planes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[unmanned aerial systems]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU aviation program]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women in Aviation]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22129336</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Kicking off with a helicopter landing in the quad, the Aviation Technology program set the stage for the third annual…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aviation-week-taking-off-for-its-third-year-with-silent-auction-helicopters-recital-of-drones/">Aviation Week taking off for its third year with silent auction, helicopters, recital of drones</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">Kicking off with a helicopter landing in the quad, the Aviation Technology program set the stage for the third annual Aviation Week. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Andreas Wesemann, the director of the professional pilot program, said although he grew up in Utah, he didn’t know Utah State had an aviation program until they were hiring for his position in 2014. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I knew it was a chance in a lifetime,” Wesemann said. “I wanted to come back to Utah to give back and find a way to help others achieve their dream.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Wesemann said Aviation Week has gotten better each year the program has done it.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s a chance to do a couple of different goals,” Wesemann said. “The first is that I want to be visible on campus. It’s also a chance to highlight aviation in a powerful way for our students and the community.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The first event of the week was Helicopter Day, where a helicopter landed on the Quad and students were welcome to come learn about it.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It was just exciting to see so many people come by,” Wesemann said. “They didn’t know we had a helicopter program.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Maizy Abbott, a sophomore majoring in the aviation professional pilot program, is the vice president of the Women in Aviation club. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">According to Abbott, landing the helicopter on the first day of the week was an important way to get people excited about the program.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_22129316" style="width: 290px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22129316" class=" wp-image-22129316" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-400x600.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="420" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-400x600.jpg 400w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-200x300.jpg 200w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-335x502.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14-1050x1575.jpg 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-14.jpg 1667w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" /><p id="caption-attachment-22129316" class="wp-caption-text">Talyn and Tytus Jeppson (bottom and right), two brothers from Cache Valley, practice flying drones with help from Ruby Jordan (center). Their father, Blake Jeppson (not pictured), brought them to campus to see the drones as part of the Aviation Week activities.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Aviation Week is all about uplifting each other and creating a good support network,” Abbott said. “The helicopter was really fun to just show other people at the university who aren’t necessarily in our degree that we have the program and how cool it can be and how everyone can do it.”</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">On Monday evening, the aviation program met for the Aviation Week Banquet and Silent Auction event. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Abbott said the banquet was the highlight of the week for her.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“We invite the community, students and faculty, and then we bring out guest speakers every year,” Abbott said. “The food’s awesome, and it’s just fun to see everybody and hear from a guest speaker.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Wesemann said the banquet was a chance to recognize excellent students in the program.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“We honored nine of our students and graduates with outstanding awards,” Wesemann said. “It was just a fun time for our student clubs in a silent auction to raise funds.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">On Tuesday, there was a career conference in the TSC for students enrolled in and interested in the aviation program.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s a chance for industry to come see us and students to meet them,” Wesemann said. “We do mock interviews and practice questions and really connected with the industry.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Femke de Boer, a senior studying the fixed-wing emphasis in the aviation professional pilot degree, is the president of the Women in Aviation club. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">According to de Boer, the career conference is especially useful to seniors preparing to graduate and go into the professional field.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Most of us are getting ready to leave, and we need to be prepared for that,” de Boer said. “I think a lot of us don’t come from airline families, so this is a great, free resource for us.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_22129310" style="width: 441px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22129310" class=" wp-image-22129310" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-600x400.jpg" alt="" width="431" height="287" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-600x400.jpg 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-300x200.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-335x223.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-08-1050x700.jpg 1050w" sizes="(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px" /><p id="caption-attachment-22129310" class="wp-caption-text">The helicopter used to fly President Cantwell to campus takes off after sitting parked on the Quad for the first day of Aviation Week.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Abbott said the impact of the career conference also stretched to members of the aviation program who weren’t going to graduate.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“You can always start making those connections,” Abbott said. “Networking is huge within aviation.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The career conference also presented the opportunity for alum Marci Johnson to come back and visit USU.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Johnson is a captain on Horizon on the Embraer 175 aircraft. She said she attends multiple recruiting and informational events, but coming back to USU was both exciting and strange.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s been a while since I’ve been back here, but it’s cool to still have a connection with some people,” Johnson said.</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">According to Johnson, coming back allows her to empathize with the students and give them advice for their futures.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I’ve been in your shoes,” Johnson said. “Students are like, ‘This has been a struggle for me,’ and I’m able to say, ‘Oh, I understand. This is what I did to get through it.’”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">On Wednesday, there was a drone event on the Quad, which highlighted the drone minor offered at USU.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“If you’re in the music program, you have a recital. Our students have a recital of flying drones,” Wesemann said. “It’s a way for them to showcase some of the things they’ve been working on: drone racing, piloting command, building sensors, guidance, control, even programming drones.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Thursday included tours of the aviation maintenance facility and aircraft simulators. This event highlighted the 85-year-old aviation maintenance program.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Mike Logan, the marketing, outreach and recruiting director for the aviation technology department, said both students and the public were invited to come look at what the aviation students had been working on.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“We showed them our jet engine test cells, the only one in the region on a university campus,” Logan said. “Then we have pre-flight simulators that our students use, and we allowed the public to come and fly those.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Finally, Friday marked the day of the airport open house, where the public was welcomed to the Cache County Airport to tour the training facilities and hangars.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Logan said Aviation Week is important in raising awareness for the program.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_22129313" style="width: 305px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22129313" class=" wp-image-22129313" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-400x600.jpg" alt="" width="295" height="443" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-400x600.jpg 400w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-200x300.jpg 200w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-335x502.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11-1050x1575.jpg 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240408-aviation-week-11.jpg 1667w" sizes="(max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px" /><p id="caption-attachment-22129313" class="wp-caption-text">Matt Marcusen pilots a FPV drone from the edge of the quad with a controller and wireless video headset on April 3.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“We’re the longest-running aviation program in the state,” Logan said. “We also shine down in Price, Utah with a program down there.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">De Boer said anyone can be part of the aviation program, and people should take the opportunity if they have any interest.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I don’t like school that much. I hate sitting in a classroom,” de Boer said. “Being able to fly and be more hands on </span><span data-contrast="none">—</span><span data-contrast="auto"> that definitely helped me love school.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Johnson said it’s important to take advantage of opportunities to be more well-rounded. She originally went to Utah State on a scholarship for a different major, but decided to follow her passion of aviation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“A lot of times we get really narrowly cornered into one option for our life,” Johnson said. “We might miss opportunities by not opening up to different things.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">For more information on the aviation programs at Utah State, visit </span><a href="https://caas.usu.edu/programs/aviation/"><span data-contrast="none">caas.usu.edu/programs/aviation/</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">To learn more about the Women in Aviation club, visit </span><a href="https://caas.usu.edu/clubs/women-in-aviation"><span data-contrast="none">caas.usu.edu/clubs/women-in-aviation</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I remember the first time I was actually in an airplane and I saw the world from the air. It gives you a different perspective of life,” Wesemann said. “If you’re going into aviation, you’re committing to be a lifelong learner.”</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aviation-week-taking-off-for-its-third-year-with-silent-auction-helicopters-recital-of-drones/">Aviation Week taking off for its third year with silent auction, helicopters, recital of drones</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Cache Makers event teaches young girls about aviation</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/cache-makers-event-teaches-young-girls-about-aviation/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Essence Barnes]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 13:45:20 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[4-H]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[aviator]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cache makers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[chapter club]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Essence Barnes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[flight]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls in aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pilot]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[planes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[RJ FTD]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[volunteer]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[WAI]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women in Aviation]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22128256</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Women in Aviation Club is gearing up to host their upcoming six-week-long Cache Makers event, starting on Feb. 14.…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/cache-makers-event-teaches-young-girls-about-aviation/">Cache Makers event teaches young girls about aviation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Women in Aviation Club is gearing up to host their upcoming six-week-long Cache Makers event, starting on Feb. 14. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>WAI is a female-led chapter club at USU focused on bringing together women who may be interested in aviation. They hold fundraisers, hangouts and study sessions for their members, but the focus is on having a community of women within the world of aviation.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Maizy Abbott, the vice president of the club, is in charge of hosting the event this year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“We’re all about supporting women in aviation, because it’s a pretty male-dominated field,” Abbott said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Elle Roylance, the club secretary, hosted the event last year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“When I was a sophomore coming up here, and I heard about it, I was so pumped because in my very first class, I was the one girl out of like 25 boys,” Roylance said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Roylance said she found a community to relate to within the club, and she wishes this was something she had available to her when she was younger. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“Just being there for one another, and supporting other girls to join the industry,” Abbott said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The club focuses on younger female students interested in aviation, and it encourages them to get into the field.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“Inspiring younger girls to become pilots is probably our main focus,” Roylance said. “Just getting a higher step forward at a younger age is what we all love to do for those younger girls.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Once a year, Cache Makers, a 4-H nonprofit youth organization, partners with WAI to hold the six-week-long program at USU.</p>
<p>Roylance said Cache Makers is like a larger version of their Girls in Aviation Day event in September, designed to give girls more experience than they would get from a single-day event.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Once a week for six weeks, young girls interested in aviation careers will take part in hands-on activities and workshops. These activities include learning about plane maintenance, drones, aerodynamics and how to operate a plane. The girls will be able to use flight simulators, and they will even have the option to take a real flight at the end of the week.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Abbott said the program focuses on younger girls, and this year is no exception.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“We have ages from fifth grade to 12th grade this year, which is the biggest range that we’ve had, so that will be super exciting,” Abbott said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>According to Abbott, the club is trying to make the event more interactive this year, and focus less on PowerPoints.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>This year, the girls will have the opportunity to explore planes and their engines hands on. They will learn about how to do maintenance on planes, including how to rivet. They will also be running their own flight simulator and will have control over the weather and flight path, teaching them how to operate the instruments within a plane during a flight.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The six-week journey will end on a high note, as the girls will even have the opportunity to use the campus’s CRJ simulator, or jet sim.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>According to the university’s Fleet and Training devices webpage, “The RJ FTD offers a precise replica of the Bombardier CRJ 700 cockpit with flight controls and performance that emulate the actual jet.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“They’ll get to pick where they want to go to and from, and get to like move the aircraft and everything, so they’ll get that full experience,” Abbott said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>At the end of the six weeks, the girls will even have the option to pay an extra fee to take a flight in a Utah State aircraft.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/cache-makers-event-teaches-young-girls-about-aviation/">Cache Makers event teaches young girls about aviation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Girls in Aviation Day encourages young women to take to the skies</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-day-encourages-young-women-to-take-to-the-skies/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Avery Truman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Sep 2023 15:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Avery Truman]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[drone]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Drones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls in aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[helicopter]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Logan airport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[plane]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[WIA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women in Aviation]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22125109</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Young girls all over the world never consider certain fulfilling and achievable career options. Not because they don’t have an…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-day-encourages-young-women-to-take-to-the-skies/">Girls in Aviation Day encourages young women to take to the skies</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Young girls all over the world never consider certain fulfilling and achievable career options. Not because they don’t have an interest in the field, but because they simply don’t know those options are available to them as women.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The media that surrounds girls in their daily lives seldom tells them women can be pilots, which stops them from even considering, Could I take to the sky?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>USU’s Girls in Aviation Day aims to prevent this lack of exposure of female aviation to younger kids. On Sept. 9, girls ages 8-18 were welcome to participate in many activities at the Logan-Cache Airport, each of them shouting to the world that women can be and are aviators.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Activities at the event included airplane building, a drone cage, making bracelets with airplane cables, an aviation history scavenger hunt and photo-ops in a plane.</p>
<p>Jaelen Grove was the Girls in Aviation Day lead this year as a member of Women in Aviation, the international organization that hosts the annual event. Girls in Aviation Day is especially important to Grove because it started her journey at USU majoring in fixed-wing aviation and aviation management.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the aviation world, and I didn’t really know where to start as the first pilot in my family,” Grove said. “I went to a Girls in Aviation Day, and it’s why I’m at Utah State, and why I’m in this program specifically.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>According to Grove, these types of events are important because they open people’s eyes to new opportunities and paths, especially as women in male-dominated fields.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“It definitely changes your mindset and kind of makes you feel like you have to push yourself to stand out,” Grove said. “That way you’re remembered a little bit more, especially in a male-dominated career field.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Grove, who is graduating in the spring, has noticed in her entire college career as an aviation student, she has only had one female instructor.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“Last year on Girls in Aviation Day, I was in charge of the phonetic alphabet booth,” Grove said. The phonetic alphabet system is used by pilots to accurately communicate letters over a radio. “I have a little girl who spelled out her name and she was like, ‘This is so cool.’”</p>
<p>Grove said this was her favorite experience because the young girl told her she wanted to be someone who uses the phonetic alphabet. Grove is excited to be on the planning side of things this year and watch the event unravel.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-22125121 aligncenter" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-600x400.jpg" alt="" width="429" height="286" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-335x223.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1-1050x700.jpg 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1-1.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px" /></p>
<p>Amy Monson, professor of aviation technology and adviser for Women in Aviation, said people travel from many different places to experience the event.</p>
<p>“I’m excited to see the looks on all the faces and the energy and excitement towards aviation,” Monson said. “Exposing young girls to new and different career fields they may not have thought of.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>According to Monson, many young girls don’t know aviation is a career they can choose because they don’t see very many people who look like themselves flying.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“We want to expose them to female pilots, female mechanics, female air traffic controllers, just so they know as young girls that they can do anything they want,” Monson said. “Even though the numbers are small in certain jobs in aviation, they are slowly but surely growing, and Utah State tries to be an example of that.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Maizy Abbott, vice president of USU’s chapter of Women in Aviation, said in a written response that female representation is needed in various STEM fields.</p>
<p>“When young girls in our community have powerful, intelligent, female role models to learn from, it prepares them to step into those roles when they grow up,” Abbott wrote. “I have had the desire to be a pilot since I was seven years old so this event warms my heart, as it is a full circle moment.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>According to Abbott, many people return annually for the event, but they also get a lot of first-time participants.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“The young girls get so excited to be a part of this event which makes us volunteers work harder every year to provide a memorable and educational experience,” Abbott wrote. “Female aviators have undergone a long struggle of adversity and setbacks.”</p>
<p>Abbott said organizations such as Women in Aviation have helped to switch the narrative by creating a vast network of individuals.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“This only makes me excited to witness the glass ceilings that are already being shattered and that the young girls at the Girls in Aviation Day will continue to break through,” Abbott wrote.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Monson said she knows Girls in Aviation Day works because they have past attendees who are now going into aerospace engineering, aviation and other related careers.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Students who are not involved in the aviation department can still support Women in Aviation. The club is open to all, and Girls in Aviation Day welcomes people of all backgrounds.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>“We have had several students that were not aviation majors involved in Women in Aviation,” Monson said. “We do a lot of fun events and activities, and we welcome all disciplines to join us.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The members of Women in Aviation are eager to make it known to the next generation that girls can fly, and they encourage those who aren’t in the aviation field to support their effort by spreading the word that women really can take to the skies, no matter what career path they choose.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-day-encourages-young-women-to-take-to-the-skies/">Girls in Aviation Day encourages young women to take to the skies</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Aviation student Tommi Abbott flies high during years at USU</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/aviation-student-tommi-abbott-flies-high-during-years-at-usu/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Darcy Ritchie]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 15:56:05 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Class of 2023]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls in aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[graduation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jet program]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tommi Abbott]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Utah State University]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22124582</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Tommi Abbott decided she wanted to be a pilot when she was 17 years old. Her cousins went through the…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aviation-student-tommi-abbott-flies-high-during-years-at-usu/">Aviation student Tommi Abbott flies high during years at USU</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tommi Abbott decided she wanted to be a pilot when she was 17 years old. Her cousins went through the aviation program at Utah State University and pushed her to pursue it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My cousins had gone here, so I already had a pretty good idea of the professors and what classes I was going to take,” she said. “Then I came here, and then I just fell in love with it.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott is from Pleasant View, Utah, and she will graduate this year with a professional pilot degree with a fixed wing emphasis and an aviation technology – aviation management degree, which she decided to add last semester.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was a total whim,” she said. “I was like, ‘Well, why not? I’m already paying for tuition.’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This has been an intense semester for Abbot after adding the second degree and working on getting her instructor license, which was delayed because of the weather.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was supposed to finish the instructor thing months ago, and the weather was just so bad,” she said. “It just kept getting pushed and pushed.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott said the classes to become a flight instructor aren’t hard, but the extra work is “insane.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t even tell you how much I studied, but I could show you my binder in my car,” Abbott said. “16.6 pounds of all my lessons.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the instructor license, she had to complete a minimum of 15 hours of flying, including multiple spin flights, during which a pilot stalls the plane and spins towards the ground. After being endorsed, Abbott completed an intense government-mandated test called a checkride, which can take between three and eight hours on the ground followed by one to three hours in the air.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott now has her private, instrument, commercial and instructor licenses. She has spent over 330 hours in the air since she started the program. After graduation, she hopes to be a flight instructor at USU or do tours of the Grand Canyon, but her eventual goal is to work for an airline, which would require her to hit 1,000 hours. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott said she is someone who focuses a lot more on school than going to activities or getting involved. She advises new students to have fun at college, and for students in the pilot program to also put in the work and study.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You definitely need to know your profession because it’s not so much ‘just take a class to pass it’ as much as ‘you need this because someday you’re going to be flying people’s kids,’” she said. “You need to know how the plane works, and can you safely handle it if something goes bad?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott’s biggest mentor at USU has been her instructor Parry “Pee Wee” Winder, who she said took her in as one of his own. He’s helped her meet important people in the aviation industry and increase her own influence on the aviation program.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abbott is involved with the jet training program at USU, which is the only program of its kind in the state. She taught the jet ground school last semester.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We teach our students how to actually fly a jet for 48 hours before they even ever touch one, so that they’re that much, much more ahead when they go to training,” she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bruce Miller, the department head of Aviation Technology, said Abbott’s work in the jet program sets her apart as an outstanding student and role model.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She works at our jet training program as basically a mentor for other students,” Miller said. “She is always willing to provide that help, but she’s also a non-traditional role model for others.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last fall, Abbott also got involved with the Girls in Aviation project at USU, which works with young girls interested in aviation. She was encouraged to join by her sister, Maizy Abbott, who is also in the pilot program.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s really cool to help these little girls and show them, ‘Hey, you can do this,’” Abbott said, “because it’s so easy for women especially to not feel confident in a male-dominant field.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maizy said being in the same program as her sister has been “absolutely incredible.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not only is she such an amazing sister, but she’s such an amazing teacher,” Maizy said. “I’ve truly been so blessed to have her through it, especially with not very many women in the program.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said her sister is one of the most determined people she has ever met. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There is nothing that stands in her way, and every goal that she sets for herself, she goes above and beyond,” Maizy said. “Not only that, she’s so humble and kind and will literally help anybody in need and stop everything to do that for them.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miller also recognized Abbott’s willingness to help others — both fellow students and the department as a whole. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We will miss seeing her,” Miller said. “We’re happy to see her go out and be a successful professional.”</span></p>
<p><em>— darcy.ritchie@usu.edu</em></p>
<p><em>Featured photo by Bailey Rigby</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aviation-student-tommi-abbott-flies-high-during-years-at-usu/">Aviation student Tommi Abbott flies high during years at USU</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Girls in Aviation event held by USU</title>
<link>https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-event-held-by-usu/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Brianne Sorensen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:38:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student Life]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brianne Sorensen]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[girls in aviation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kathleen Larson]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Aggies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USU Aviation]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22094444</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Utah State University’s Chapter of Women in Aviation held a Girls in Aviation event Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Logan-Cache…</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-event-held-by-usu/">Girls in Aviation event held by USU</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State University’s Chapter of Women in Aviation held a Girls in Aviation event Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Logan-Cache Airport to help young girls become interested in a wide variety of aviation careers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women are continuously and severely underrepresented throughout the aviation industry. According to Women in Aviation International, the international industry average for women pilots is just seven percent. The industry average for women in aviation maintenance is only two percent.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Claire Duggar, a USU Chapter Women in Aviation officer, said this event is very close to her heart. She said there is still severe and pointed discrimination against women in the aviation industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I got hired (as a pilot), I heard some men say I only got hired because I am a woman and whoever hired me just wanted a woman in dispatch. I have heard it in every airport I have been in. Everyone stares at me, they ask if I am there to pick up my boyfriend,” Duggar said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She thinks this discrimination is due to women being severely underrepresented in the aviation industry. She said to stop the discrimination, more women need to become involved in the field, even if they face adversity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You have to fight so they know you are here to make a name for yourself. You have to push harder than everyone else to get what you want,” she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the event, USU aviation volunteers set up several booths and activities around the airport where families, young women in particular, could learn more about the history of women in aviation and have the opportunity meet women in aviation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tristan Mazzu attended the event as a representative of Skywest Airlines. Her mother was a successful pilot and inspired her to become a pilot as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I encourage anyone who wants to go in this profession to work hard and never let go of their passion. The women in this field are all going to be here to rally behind you to help you achieve your goals and dreams,” Mazzu said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jane Wu, a representative for the Logan-Cache Airport, helped girls climb into the cockpit of a twin engine plane throughout the event to help the girls experience what it is truly like to sit and fly in a plane.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When they first get in (the plane) they see a complicated system, but then we start teaching them the ins-and-outs of the flying process and they are always like, ‘Oh this makes sense,’ and you see them get more and more invested. It is just so rewarding,” Wu said</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Annie Liu brought her daughter, Melinda, to the event hoping to show her she can become an independent woman in any career she chooses.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_22094446" style="width: 585px" class="wp-caption alignleft"> <div class="media-credit-container alignleft" style="max-width: 585px">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22094446" class="wp-image-22094446 " src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sept.-15-2018-girls-in-aviation-day-4-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="383" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sept.-15-2018-girls-in-aviation-day-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sept.-15-2018-girls-in-aviation-day-4-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sept.-15-2018-girls-in-aviation-day-4-335x223.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sept.-15-2018-girls-in-aviation-day-4-1050x700.jpg 1050w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px" /><span class="media-credit">Megan Nielsen | The Utah Statesman</span> </div>
<p id="caption-attachment-22094446" class="wp-caption-text">Girls learn about drones and the drone program at Utah State University at Girls in Aviation Day at the Logan-Cache Airport on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Girls in Aviation Day events are hosted across the world. Logan’s event was hosted by the Utah State University chapter of Women in Aviation International. The mission is to introduce girls to careers in aerospace and aviation through hands on activities and guest speakers. (Megan Nielsen)</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Liu said, “Not everybody can fly a plane, but I want to show (Melinda) that she can do it if she wants. She can do whatever she wants. I truly believe that, and I want her to believe that too.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melinda ran excitedly around the event and exclaimed, “I want to do this every day.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charlotte James, another mother who brought her daughter to the event, said she wished USU put on more events like Girls in Aviation throughout the year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “This is a very good opportunity to raise awareness of such an unrepresented demographic. Women can anything men can.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the third year USU women have held this event. Kathleen Larson, the president of USU’s chapter, says more girls show up every year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I want to bring awareness that women can be successful and appreciated in aviation. We are here. We are just as smart as you are. We can fly planes just as well as you can.”</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—Brianne Sorensen</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">@SorensenBrianne</span></i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/girls-in-aviation-event-held-by-usu/">Girls in Aviation event held by USU</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>