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Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week
Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week
	Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week logo
Observed by	Men and women, worldwide
Type	International civil awareness week
Date	Week of March 8
2023 date	March 6–12
2024 date	March 4–10
2025 date	March 3–9
2026 date	March 2–8
Frequency	Annual
Related to	First female pilot licence worldwide anniversary \| Raymonde de Laroche

Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week {WOAW} is a global aviation awareness week for girls of all ages observed to mark the anniversary of the world’s first female pilot licence (March 8, 1910). The week is a call to address gender imbalance in the air and space industry. It is not country or group specific

Since March 2010, Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week's activities have been organized in 52 countries on 5 continents. 420,000 women and girls attended the Week's local hands-on activities. 69,768 women and girls experienced their first flight in a small aircraft in response to the Week's Fly It Forward® call to action.

History

In January 2010, Mireille Goyer, an airline-rated pilot and aviation educator, launched an international grassroots initiative to celebrate the centennial of the first female pilot license worldwide earned by Raymonde de Laroche on March 8, 1910.

Her Fly It Forward® call to action encouraged pilots from around the world to introduce record numbers of girls of any age to aviation during, what was then dubbed, "Women Pilots' Week". In 2011, the one-time celebration evolved into the annual "Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week".^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

By addressing the female population's lack of exposure to aviation activities, Goyer's Fly It Forward® initiative aims to fulfill the dream of the pioneering women pilots of 1910, namely to see women participate in all aspects of aviation.^[5]^[6]

On September 10, 2012, Mireille Goyer founded the Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW), a not-for-profit global industry alliance. It organizes The Week's various contests and tracks The Week's activities in addition to managing other initiatives that facilitate women's integration in the industry around the year. Led by a gender-balanced, all-volunteer, Board of Directors, iWOAW's mission is to foster gender balance in the air and space industry through outreach, education, and advocacy.^[7]

Activities and observances

Female-centric activities take place at airports and aerodromes around the world as well as in museums and aerospace businesses. Special commemoration flights are often conducted.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

iWOAW organizes multiple challenges and contests during the week. The best known challenge, Fly It Forward®, rewards top performers with awards including "Most Female Friendly Airport Worldwide", "Most Female Friendly Community Worldwide", "Most Female Friendly Corporation Worldwide", "Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide", and "Most Supportive Male Pilot Worldwide".^[12]^[13]

Theme

Each year, a theme based on a global historical female breakthrough in the air and space industry highlights a specific sector of the industry.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

List of themes (2010-2018)

2010 – 100 years of licensed female pilots (world’s first female pilot license – Raymonde de Laroche, France)
2011 – 100 years of female air racers (world first women to enter an air race – Hélène Dutrieu, Belgium
2012 – 100 years of female seaplane pilots (world’s first seaplane pilot – Hélène Dutrieu, Belgium)
2013 – 50 years of women in space (world's first female astronaut – Valentina Tereshkova, Russia)
2014 – 100 years of female aerobatic pilots (world's first female aerobatic pilot – Lydia Zvereva, Russia)
2015 – 100 years of female pilots in combat (world's first woman to fly in combat – Marie Marvingt, France)
2016 – 60 years of female bush pilots (world's first female bush pilot – Ada Rogato, Brazil)
2017 – 80 years of female helicopter pilots (world's first female helicopter pilot – Hanna Reitsch, Germany)
2018 - 65 years of supersonic women (world's first woman to fly at the speed of sound - Jacqueline Cochran, USA)

List of Fly It Forward® Award Winners

Year		Most Female Pilot Friendly Airport Worldwide	Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide	Most Supportive Male Pilot Worldwide
2010^[18]
	Winner	Oshawa, ON Canada	Amanda Sargent, Renton, WA United States	Andrei Floroiu, New York, NY United States
	First Finalist	Renton, WA United States	Allie Dunnington, Bristol United Kingdom	Peter Morton, Renton, WA United States
	Second Finalist	Kpong Field Ghana	Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON Canada	Dick Smith, Renton, WA United States
2011^[19]
	Winner	Frederick, MD United States	Dianna Stanger, Port Lavaca, TX United States	Leith Barnhill, Arlington, WA United States
	First Finalist	Arlington, WA United States	Lin Caywood, Frederick, MD United States	Doug Raine, Oshawa, ON Canada
	Second Finalist	Port Lavaca, TX United States	Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON Canada	Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON Canada
2012^[20]
	Winner	Yellowknife, NT Canada	Kirsten Brazier, Yellowknife, NT Canada	Derrick Robinson, Yellowknife, NT Canada
	First Finalist	Frederick, MD United States	Megan Tyler, Yellowknife, NT Canada	Robert Ferlisi, Yellowknife, NT Canada
	Second Finalist	Peterborough, ON Canada	Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON Canada	Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON Canada Ron Haslam Peterborough, ON Canada
2013^[21]
	Winner	St Andrews, Winnipeg, MB, Canada	Kirsten Brazier, Yellowknife, NT Canada	Frank Roberts, St Andrews, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
	First Finalist	Yellowknife, NT, Canada	Megan Tyler, Yellowknife, NT Canada	Geoff Furniss, Yellowknife, NT Canada
	Second Finalist	Waterloo, ON, Canada	Dianna Stanger, Victoria, TX United States	Glen Sibbeston, Yellowknife, NT, Canada
2014^[22]
	Winner	Langley, BC, Canada	Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX United States	Frank Walcher, Parksville, BC, Canada \| Tom Keane, Victoria, TX, United States
	First Finalist	Victoria, TX, United States	Diana Jemson, Strathalbyn, SA Australia	George Tecklenborg, Abbotsford, BC Canada
	Second Finalist	Lachute, QC, Canada	Marguerite Varin, Lachute, QC Canada	Euan Harrison, Caloundra, QLD, Australia
2015^[23]
	Winner	Albuquerque, NM, United States	Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX United States	Luc Bougie, Mascouche, QC, Canada \| Matt Norgrove, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
	First Finalist	Lachute, QC, Canada	Ramona Cox, Torrance, CA United States	David Carroll \| Gary Penglis Bathurst, NSW, Australia
	Second Finalist	Saint Andrews, MB, Canada	Diana Jemson, Strathalbyn, SA Australia	Bryan Clements \| Chris Stott \| Nick Wills Bathurst, NSW, Australia
2016^[24]
	Winner	Edinburg, TX, United States	Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX United States	Yves Barbeau, Lachute, QC, Canada
	First Finalist	Lachute, QC, Canada	Yasmina Platt, Houston, TX United States	Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON, Canada
	Second Finalist	Peterborough, ON, Canada	Ingrid Kutzner, Peterborough, ON Canada	Ron Haslam, Peterborough, ON, Canada
2017^[25]
	Winner	Albuquerque, NM, United States	Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX United States	Sylvain Cantan, Bozas, Ardèche, France
	First Finalist	Lachute, QC, Canada	Bobbie Lind, Albuquerque, NM, United States	Yves Barbeau, Lachute, QC, Canada
	Second Finalist	Brampton, ON, Canada	Susan Larson, Albuquerque, NM, Canada	Bernard Chirol, Étables, Ardèche, France

References

External links

[1] NBAA – A Week That Supports Women in Aviation Around the Globe

[2] AOPA – Opening Skies to Women

[3] The Arlington Times – Arlington Airport aims to grow the ranks of 'Women Of Aviation' March 10 & 11

[4] Air Force District of Washington – Joint Base Andrew's Women 'Fly it Forward' during Women of Aviation Worldwide Week

[5] AOPA – Creator of International Women's Aviation Event Honored

[6] Wings Magazine – Aviation pioneer Mireille Goyer wins multiple awards

[7] AvWeb – Women get organized

[8] Q2KTVQ – Women’s Aviation Week touches down in Billings

[9] Billings Gazette – Women, girls get up-close look at aviation

[10] Northern News – Girls Fly Too

[11] KTVB – Pilots 'Fly It Forward' at Gowen Field

[12] AvWeb – Frederick Tops Female Flight Drive

[13] AvWeb – Female-pilot-friendly Yellowknife

[14] Female helicopter pilots celebrated

[15] Headcorn airfield to celebrate 100 years of women pilots

[16] ITV – Harriet Quimby's Flight Anniversary

[17] BBC – Caroline Feraday reports on the centennial of Harriet Quimby’s flight

[18] 2010 Participants

[19] 2011 Winners Announced

[20] 2012 Winners Announced

[21] 2013 Winners Announced

[22] 2014 Winners Announced

[23] 2015 Winners Announced

[24] 2016 winners announced

[25] 2017 Winners announced

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