Group photo (Brandy Schraeder)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide PACOM and Europe campuses celebrated the 9th annual “Girls in Aviation Day”, a Women in Aviation International (WAI) event, throughout the month of September. Seven Embry-Riddle campus teams throughout the Pacific and Europe area of operations in mainland Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, Wiesbaden, Germany and Guam held tours, presentations, and events, featuring female pilots, maintenance technicians, and more to inspire youth aged 4-18 in their local communities.

Women in Aviation International (WAI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation and aerospace career fields and interests. WAI began celebrating Girls in Aviation Day in 2015 to encourage and inspire young girls to pursue interested in aviation fields. WAI’s Girls in Aviation Day events have reached more than 20,000 girls in 18 different countries.

Local event facilitators and presenters, such as the female pilots and maintainers in the 5th Squadron 17th Cavalry Regiment at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, gave tours of their aircraft and flightline, and shared their personal journeys toward professional careers in aviation. Children were able to sit inside an Apache to learn the intricate workings and safety requirements to ensure successful missions.

1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment offered the local Wiesbaden, Germany Embry-Riddle campus an airfield history lesson by published author and Air Traffic Controller, Dirk Schulz. The 56 attendees were also provided a tour of the Air Traffic Control tower, climbed in the UH-60 Black Hawk, and sat in the pilot seat of both the C-12 and UC-35.

Embry-Riddle partnered with the Girl Scouts at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, where participants met female pilots and toured the hangars, planting the seeds for future careers in aviation and aerospace. ERNIE the Eagle, Embry-Riddle’s mascot, even made an appearance in Okinawa, to greet over 160 attendees and hold a paper airplane flying contest. Girl Scouts of America participants from both base and local Japanese chapters earned “WAI Aviation Girl” patches for their participation.

Guam’s Andersen AFB campus and library hosted former Guam WAI Chapter Vice President and current United Airlines First Officer, Miyukiko “KoKo” Kostelney, who reviewed her story to becoming a commercial pilot and taught participants the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Yokota AB featured a tour of the Yokota Aero Club Hangar conducted by three female pilots. Osan AB partnered with their local library to hold a unique story time opportunity with maintainers and pilots for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) families, and local ERAU students provided a tour of the flightline and F-16 hangar. Participants received “Girls in Aviation Day Kits”, filled with activities, stickers, career guides, bandanas, and more following the tours, presentations, and activities.

“It is a great honor to be able to coordinate interactive activities with inspirational female military and civilian personnel who are paving the way to inspire the next generation of young aviators,” said Hayley Yamanaka, Associate Executive Director, International Campus Operations. “ERAU is proud to have partnered with important military community leaders and aviation professionals to show children that the sky is the limit.”

“We are very excited to empower the next generation of leaders in aviation, aerospace, and STEM through Girls in Aviation Day,” said Nancy Tran-Horne, Executive Director International Campus Operations. “We look forward to continuing to provide unique learning opportunities for youth in our local military communities in the Pacific and around the world.”

Over 275 youth throughout the Pacific and European region were positively impacted by the events. Participants and their parents/guardians expressed newfound interests in aviation and technology, inspiring the future generation of pilots, maintainers, aerospace engineers, and aviation enthusiasts.

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Campus Locations in Europe

ERAU has had the privilege of serving overseas U.S. military students via our current Tri-Services Contract since the opening of our first European military location in 1973. Campus locations are scattered across Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, & the United Kingdom. Locations include Aviano AB, NATO AB Geilenkirchen, USAG Bavaria (Grafenwoehr/Vilseck/Hohenfels), USAG Ansbach (Katterbach/Illesheim), Incirlik AB, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, Ramstein AB, NAVSTA Rota, NAS Sigonella, Spangdahlem AB, Vicenza (Caserma Ederle), and USAG Wiesbaden, while providing support for students located in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC – Sembach Kaserne, USAG Baumholder, Kleber Kaserne, & USAG Rheinland-Pfalz Landstuhl), USAG Stuttgart, Naples, RAF Croughton, RAF Molesworth, Moron AB, Poland (Poznan/Powidz), & Romania (Mihail Kogalniceanu AB). Website: EUROPE Military Campuses Website

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Campus Locations in the Pacific ERAU began offering aviation undergraduate and graduate certificates and degree programs, EagleVision Classroom (EVC) courses, and on-site advising/support services, to members of the U.S. military and their families stationed at overseas Pacific locations in US Forces Japan (USFJ) and US Forces Korea (USFK) in 2015 under a Department of Defense Education contract. ERAU PACOM’s flagship campus locations, Kadena AB in Okinawa and Camp Humphreys in South Korea, opened their doors in August of 2015. Since then, ERAU PACOM has expanded to include ten campus locations throughout Japan (Kadena AB, MCAS Futenma, MCAS Iwakuni, Misawa AB, NAF Atsugi, Yokosuka NB, and Yokota AB), South Korea (Camp Humphreys, Osan AB), and Guam (Andersen AFB). ERAU also supports students located in Daegu, Kunsan, Camp Foster, Camp Schwab, Camp Kinser, Camp Hansen, Torii Station, Camp Fuji, and Camp Zama. In August 2022, ERAU renewed their commitment to military education in aviation, aerospace, engineering, safety, and more under an Education Services Agreement (ESA).

Website: PACOM Military Campuses Website