99s WORKING WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS:
Aviation Program: "Go By Air"
Members of The Lake Tahoe and Reno Area Chapters of the Ninety Nines are helping the Reno's Girl Scout Coordinators get their Girl Scout Aviation Program "off the ground"!
Several of the local women from the Greater Reno and Truckee areas are working with Reno's Girl Scout Coordinator is creating a program they call "Go By Air" in which Girl Scouts can earn a Participation Patch.
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Participation Patches and Pins |
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Focus is on participation — no set requirements. Developed at national or council level. Worn on back
We had our trial run of
our "Go By Air" Participation Patch in Dayton, Nevada, in
March, 2003.
The trial run was held in Pat Orcutt's hangar in Dayton, NV. Six volunteer Girl Scouts, who insisted on being called “The Pilot Group” were introduced to Pat's Aztec, allowed to sit in it (in the hangar with no engine of course!) and given activities to try, including sitting in the left seat, pushing the yoke right, left, up and down and observing the reaction to the ailerons and elevator. This will be repeated on upcoming Saturdays in Reno, Truckee and Elko.
Reno's Girl Scout Coordinator declared the March 2003 trial run an overwhelming success.
Want to join in the fun? Support us when we work with the Truckee Girl Scouts on April 24, 2004. For more information, E-mail Judy Mayorga at totruckee@jps.net
In 2004 "Go By Air" will be presented on the following Saturdays:
On April 24 in Truckee, California
To be announced in Elko, Nevada
To be announced in Reno, Nevada
Activities we presented to the “Pilot Group” in Dayton included:
- who are the Ninety Nines.
- looking at a chart and finding three-letter airport identifiers.
- aviation rules; age requirements for pilot certificates.
- making and flying paper airplanes.
- phonetic alphabet.
- controller game using an airport layout on the floor.
- identifying airplane components.
- hands-on preflight of Pat's Aztec.
- timeline of flight with "firsts" for women in aviation.
The goal for next year is to develop a second program, "Destination Pilot". This will be a more advanced program, with involving more technical learning, for those girls who have participated in "Go By Air". Upon completion of "Destination Pilot" the girls will receive an Interest Project Patch. Possible topics will include:
- four forces of flight.
- instrument panel.
- using the radio.
- weather.
- visit a tower.
- steps to becoming a pilot.
- service projects such as helping younger girls working on the Participation Patch; volunteering at aviation events.
Both programs are for middle school and high school Girl Scouts.