September 30, 2015

Girls in Aviation Day: Carlsbad, Calif.

Across the country in Carlsbad, Calif., F/O Fallon Winslow (Alaska) helped organize the combined Los Angeles and San Diego event. Joined by pilots from Compass and her husband, Andy (also a first officer with Alaska), Winslow termed the day “an event the girls will remember for years to come.” She later stated, “I have no doubt many of them will be working side by side with us professionals in the future.”

Winslow looked back at her role models, “all the women I have worked with that are professional airline pilots, spouses, and mothers—they do it all!” She recognized her father as being the one who first encouraged her, and spoke of her desire to provide that encouragement to the girls in attendance. “We’re exposing girls of all ages to something they may not otherwise be directly exposed to—aviation,” she explained.

The event included an ATC tower tour led by two female professional air traffic controllers, discussions from a career panel of professional women in various positions throughout the industry, hands-on activities, and airplane tours. “Getting these girls exposed to so many possibilities and reinforcing in them to believe in themselves is very fulfilling,” enthused Winslow.

That feeling shined through for other volunteers too, she reported. Winslow remarked about a retired pilot in attendance, “It’s the coolest thing to see how big of a smile she still has about being an airline pilot even after 30-plus years.”

F/O Fallon Winslow (Alaska) provides a cockpit tour.

See ALPA’s Flickr page for photographs of the various Girls in Aviation Day events submitted by pilots. Did you attend an event and want to share your own photos? Share with us using #girlsinaviation, or send to Communications@alpa.org and we’ll add them to the collection.

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