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Elissa Lines, right, EAA vice president of commercial and donor relations, and Dr. Peggy Chabrian, WAI president, announce WomenVenture at AirVenture during the WAI conference in San Diego Friday, March 14. |
What could easily be the largest gathering
of women pilots in history is just one of the highlights of the
inaugural "WomenVenture 2008" activities taking place at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. The 56th annual edition of the EAA fly-in
convention, "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration," is
July 28-August 3 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
WomenVenture 2008 was developed through a
partnership between EAA and Women in Aviation, International, and was
officially announced at the WAI convention in San Diego, Calif., this
morning under the theme "Elevate Your Life." The program is
designed to recognize and encourage women aviators, who are less than 10
percent of the nation's pilot population. There will be programs and
activities throughout the week for longtime women pilots, those women
interested in learning to fly and encouraging girls to explore the
worlds of flight and the sciences.
"It is important to recognize the
accomplishments of women in ways that challenge and motivate others.
Women can reach for the sky and elevate their lives," said Elissa
Lines, EAA's vice president of commercial and donor relations, and a
pilot.
The grand finale of the weeklong
WomenVenture 2008 activities will be the largest assembly of women
pilots in history when they are invited to gather at AeroShell Square on
Friday, August 1. Prior to that record-setting event, however,
WomenVenture will also feature:
- Women Soar You Soar event on
July 27-28, designed for high school-age girls and featuring women
who have volunteered to share their aviation career knowledge and
direction as mentors;
- Numerous workshops, forums and evening
programs featuring women aviators;
- WomenVenture representatives in EAA
Member Village welcoming all women pilots, current and non-current;
- The annual Women in Aviation,
International celebrity breakfast on Friday morning on the EAA
AirVenture grounds.
"It's exciting to have the
opportunity to work with EAA to give visibility to the thousands of
women who share a passion for aviation with the hundreds of thousands of
men throughout the country," said Dr. Peggy Chabrian, WAI
president. "Women work in all aspects of aviation and at every
level, but the growth potential for women in aviation is
astounding."
EAA and WAI invite all women aviators to
participate at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this year, especially in the
record-setting gathering on August 1. Additional information will be
available at the event's web page at www.airventure.org/womenventure/. |
