The 6th Annual Women of Aviation Worldwide Week - reported in last week's issue - has published an impressive set of results for the event, held during March 7-13th.

44,000 participated in activities hosted at 120 venues in Africa, America, Europe, and Oceania, aimed at advancing gender balance in the air and space industry. Roughly half of the official activities were organized by flight schools and flying clubs. Noticeable was the increase in aerospace factory visits, control tower tours, aviation university department open houses, and aviation museums special event offerings.

France led the way with 27 venues, closely followed by Turkey with 26. The United States, Canada, and Australia completed the top 5 countries. New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Angola, and Guyana celebrated The Week for the first time. The Fly It Forward Challenge is a call to action urging pilots to help close the flight introduction gap between genders by introducing girls of all ages to flight in a small aircraft during The Week. This year, 8,418 girls discovered flying as a result.

The friendly annual competition powered by human goodness recognizes airport communities and individual pilots who introduce the greatest number of girls to flight.

In 2016, South Texas International at Edinburg Airport, USA, wins The Challenge’s most coveted title, “Most Female Pilot Friendly Airport Worldwide”. Dianna Stanger of Texas, USA, is named “Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide” and Yves Barbeau of Quebec, Canada, “Most Supportive Male Pilot Worldwide”.

Runners-up included Canada’s Lachute and Peterborough airports in the airport category, American Yasmina Platt and Australian Brianna Christian in the female pilot category, and Canadians Hubert Wren and Ron Haslam in the male pilot category.

The 7th Annual Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week will be held March 6-12, 2017. 30 years after the world’s first helicopter flight in 1907, Hanna Reitsch became the first woman to pilot a helicopter. To salute her accomplishment, The Week’s 2017 theme will be: “Let’s whirl. 80 years of female helicopter pilots.”

More information at: http://www.iwoaw.org