For nine-year-old Maggie Woolcot, the experience was unforgettable. “It looks so cool,” she said from the air. “This is my favourite day so far!” Her mother, Elizabeth Mavor, added, “She can do anything she wants. And this is the type of event that shows she can do anything she wants.”

Not every passenger was a young girl, but all of them loved the experience. Carol Rondeau had not been in a plane in decades, and for her, Girls Fly Day ticked a box on a bucket list. “It was awesome,” she said. “Just being above everything and looking down. It’s awesome.”

Organized by the Eastern Ontario Chapter of the 99s, the event had been run several times before the pandemic, but had been on a pause for several years. Several volunteers from the chapter spoke of how meaningful it was to watch participants discover flight. “It was delightful to see so many young girls light up with the opportunity to go flying and equally as impressive to see so many people support their interest,” said Claire Maxwell, who ran a station to educate participants on basic aerodynamics. “Girls Fly Day was a huge success and I’m so happy that I could play a part in it.”

Volunteer Sowmya Lokesh, a pilot who assisted with boarding of passengers, echoed that sense of reward: “To see the big smiles on their faces when they returned was very rewarding. Girls and their moms who I knew kept thanking me even a week after the event for making them aware of such an opportunity. Those who missed out can’t wait to take part next time.”

Many of the girls and young women had a chance to try the controls once airborne. Some were tentative at first, worried about making a mistake but the volunteer pilots explained the various controls and showed how stable the aircraft are in level flight. Within seconds, their confidence increased and they were amazed at how they could pilot the aircraft themselves. 

For volunteer pilot Sharon Lee Bechthold, the day brought back memories. “To see the look of awe and excitement in the young girls’ faces filled my heart and brought me back in time to when I first flew out of Rockcliffe in the 60s with my father. Their joy reminded me of how very lucky I am to have the privilege to fly. I loved every minute of this fabulous opportunity. Can’t wait for next year!”

Volunteer pilot Scott Frost had a similar perspective. “It was very rewarding to see the smiling faces and the joy that this event brought to all of the participants. When I was a teenager I benefited from the opportunity to fly through the Air Cadet program. That sparked the love of aviation for me and led to a lengthy career as a pilot in the RCAF. Events such as these will help ignite that same spark for young women and open up opportunities they may not have realized were available.”

EOC 99s lead organizer Kathy Fox underlined why this matters. “Only four per cent of pilots worldwide are women. We find that the earlier we can give them the experience of flying, the more likely they are to consider it as a potential career,” she said. Kathy guided months of planning that culminated in a seamless day of first flights and future career dreams. 

The event enjoyed strong support from the aviation community. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum hosted the event in the perfect setting among their extensive collection of aircraft, while AvJet provided a fuel credit, RFC sponsored food and drinks, NAV CANADA contributed a generous donation and staffed an information booth, and Porter Airlines donated a pair of flight vouchers for a silent auction to benefit women in aviation programs. Pilots from the Ottawa area volunteered their time and aircraft to fly the participants, and the Precision Marshalling team from Vintage Wings made sure the flow of aircraft was safe.