I love the input to this next question. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

What detractors do you see for little girls and their continued interest in aviation? What do you see as solutions? In what way could you see Girls With Wings assisting in contributing to a solution?

1. Still a male dominated vocation and continued education and encouragement required to keep girls/women interested

2. funding and time

3. Still a "good old boy" mentality at most aviation-related industries

4. Fying cost's money. There's little advice for teens on how to get the money to take flying lessons.

5. The focus on aviation being for men. Some girls don't think they have a chance. They need to be encouraged to follow their dreams. I have a 4 yr old that wants to fly helicopters, even though her dad is a fighter pilot, and as long as he says that is what she wants I'm all for it!

6. Girls need something to actively participate in like a club for girls who want to fly and meet at least once a week. The club would have to be mostly girls otherwise the girl who gets stuck with a bunch of girls she dosen't know may feel uncomfortable.

7. ideas given to children assist them in making choices

8. Not enough information out there about women in aviation. When I went to college, it was more tailored to men, and even in high school, it's defined as a male dominated field.

9. Detractors: Just the fact that aviation is such a small percentage of the population and is not really understood by the general public. Solution: Exposure, exposure, exposure, and positive programs such as the one you are promoting.

10. Girls are not really encouraged to pursue careers in aviation or aerospace. There is an imagine in society that careers in engineering or science would typically be for men - and that is an image that needs to be changed. More seminars and conferences need to be provided for girls who have the interest or who don't even have the interest to expose them to what is out there in aviation and aerospace. There is a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped into in the aviation industry - we need to all get together and encourage the future of aviation today in order for success tomorrow and beyond.

11. Not many have the interest that guys do, people don't expect girls to so girls end up paying for everything themselves and it gets costly and then girls just forget there dreams

12. I believe that, at the root of it, young girls simply do not receive enough exposure to aviation. I was lucky to have a father that was an 'aviation-buff' and was my exposure avenue. I was also taught that I 'can do whatever I want to do in life' despite standard convention. I think your website/organization is a great step towards a solution. I realize that it must be a huge financial burden, but maybe advertising the organization through non-aviation related avenues (where the focus/target group is young girls) might create more exposure. For example, how about getting a blurb/link on a Nikelodeon website - one that comes to mide is "Dora the Explorer"? That show's target group is children of pre-schooler age (which I can imagine a majority are girls). However, I am not in any way familiar with the legal/ethical implications of associating a non-profit group with one that that is profit-based.

13. other life goal, just everyday life stress with school growing up. to fix it have an easy way of learning everything there is to know about getting an airplane in the air.

14. to keep girls in their idea of flight

15. Young girls need to be exposed to aviation.. and after they show a interest it needs to be incouraged... still a good ole boys network at most airports.

16. significant cost of training

17. Elementary schools study transportation and female pilots are not well represented in books. I think if more girls knew they COULD be pilots, they would want to pursue it.

18. You know my opinion already . ..

19. Perception that girls shouldn't fly cuz it is for boys only- solution is education. You are on the right track having female mentors and video clips available for the girls. Girls have to see girls doing it and succeding at any aspect of aviation.

20. Things available in the "mainstream" (non-aviation-related) stores are geared towards males. Let's try to encourage more women to write books geared to girls who are interested in aviation, manufacturers to make clothing with airplanes in "girl clothes", etc.

21. I speak with middle school girls regularly promoting aviation, and very few have ever considered a career in aviation, they seem to lean towards nursing and teaching. I believe this is a result of a number of issues the biggest being lack of exposure to other aviation oriented females.

22. I think that the only way to directly show girls the possibilities is to present programs in schools or to girls groups like the Brownies or the Campfire Girls. Or to the YWCA? There must be many more girls' groups that I don't know about.

23. I think little girls don't realize or consider that they could be a pilot. It never occurred to me! More education would help this I think.

24. As a hispanic girl growning up, my families priorities were that i get a good education. Something safe, close to home, and financially stable. Then they wanted me to start a family. I never had goals past that. I didn't know what was out there for me, when i left home and joined the Corps it was a last resort. I think if we continue to set examples for young women to aspire to other than the convientional, like you have on this site, then we will see more woman thinking outside of the box. We need to continue to get news out about other carrer fields. Your doing a great job, but we have to really get out there.

25. too much media emphasis on shallow things, like looks we need to inspire young women and make it seem commonplace that women work in aviation fields

26. crusty old men in FBOs scare them away...unless girls (of any age) are deeply commited to learning or closely associated with a CFI, they will be scared away. I've seen it mulitple times. (Fortunately I'm jsut stubborn enough to stick it out.) Flyers members could print and pin up at FBOs may give some of them encouragement.

27. There are no real role models for them, no the heros we have are not in the childs world unless one of us brings it to her.

28. People in general don't realize that aviation is open to all. More females with wings in the higher ranks of gov. & civ. world.

29. Lack of Mentors, Lack of exposure

30. Girls have generally been discouraged from flying and flying careers. We attend numerous "fly-ins" and have never seen a workshop or information for young girls. There are always fathers & sons & grandsons but rarely any girls at these events. Information is a very important part of "Girls With Wings" and expos at the major flight events around the nation.

31. Detractors would be a lack of emphasis on "physical conditioning" for girls such as in sports, running, etc....as it is with youg boys. By the time they are old enough to enter into a program leading to aviation qualification, it is harder to keep up with the physical requirements ( in the military) than with boys who are encouraged to be "physical" or athletic all throughout childhood. A solution would be an emphasis on Physical Activities in school for young girls, not just a Loitering type of "recess" at lunch. Girls with Wings might help alleviate this by sponsoring a "field day" or an "aviation olympics" for the satellite clubs or groups once or twice a year at a regional location to encourage competition and rigorous physical training among the young girls.

32. In the articles that I have read, it seems that minorities succeed a lot more when they have a one on one mentor. An adult that has climbed the ladder and can help lead the way for the next generation. I think that I know at least a half a dozen women pilots that would help in this project!

33. The old stigma of girls aren't pilots seems to be going away. Keep getting the word out, and doing what you're doing! I want my little girl to be a pilot!

34. Counselors that still think of flying as a "man's job." Counselors that do not know how to tell students HOW to become a pilot. Lack of female role models.

35. well maybe you girls/guys can visit different schools and stuuf

36. I don't think that little girls get exposed to women pilots very often. I always see shy stares and even avoidance of eye contact as I walk through airports in my pilot's uniform. If only I could hand out flyers or something to help them understand that the sky isn't even the limit....

37. Awareness of women pilots is important and GWW is assisting in that goal.

38. Just getting the girls to learn about flying. I gave a ride (Eagle Flight) to a 7 year old girl. When it was over, she wanted to be a pilot. Didn't realize that women could fly!

39. First, girls are not told that aviation is a possibility. Parents need to be made more aware of the possibilities. Second, we need to get into the schools in the early grades through middle school and make as many young girls as possible know about the joys of flying.

40. Detractors- cost of aviation. Possible scholarship opportunity?

41. Bias in the educational systems is still a significant factor.

42. Lack of access to planes/finances. In short, the same problem that most of us face. I didn't get my license until I was 36. I didn't realize until I was 32 or 33 that General Aviation even existed. I figured that either you flew for the military or the military then the airlines and that was it. I never looked into it further because I've always hated math (despite being in advanced math classes) and have lousy eyes and I figured both of those would exclude me from the military. Girls with Wings might be able to help by recruiting women who own their own planes to go into local schools and maybe offer short rides to little girls. Just an idea. I realize the liability implications are large.

43. problem is continued attitude that women don't belong in these careers -- even comments such as "i didn't know a woman could be a pilot". team up with other technical organizations that are women and girl oriented, such as society of women engineers...

44. "Normalization" of women piloting gets better every year. Ways that Girls with Wing can help are by 1)providing a network for young girls with aviation aspirations to connect through, 2)providing connections with mentors 3)listing of educational and scholarship opportunities 4)making aviation fun.