By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org

At the young age of seven, Samantha Perry was a “lucky” traveler on a small private plane which made a lasting impression.

“My dad was working for a fastener company and a large automotive organization needed an emergency part that was causing a production outage, and his company rented a small private plane to fly him from Michigan to Chicago to get the required part,” said Perry, who is on GE Aerospace’s cybersecurity team and president of the Great Lakes Chapter of Women in Aviation International (WAI). “It was because I tagged along with him in that plane that I caught the ‘bug’ for aviation, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

“While open to all genders, our initiative is designed to expose school-aged females to the aviation industry and spark inspiration about the career opportunities available in aerospace.”

Since becoming president, Perry’s highlights have included bringing Girls in Aviation Day back to Grand Rapids, expanding the chapter board to increase collaboration, and creating strong partnerships with other midwest WAI chapters (and partner organizations) to expand the reach of their professional network.

“Many Women in Aviation International Chapters across the globe host a Girls in Aviation Day event,” Perry said. “The Great Lakes Chapter has held about seven events since inception. However, this is our second year hosting the event with capacity to facilitate larger-scale attendance.”

Girls in Aviation Day Details

Time/Date: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20
Location: AVFLIGHT, 4211 Cassard Ln., Grand Rapids
Featuring:
–Stem activities
–Themed crafts
–Static displays
–Airfield tours
–Scavenger hunts

The Mission

“Women in Aviation International is the largest nonprofit organization that envisions a world where the sky is open to all, and where aviation and aerospace dreams are possible without barriers,” said Perry, who has a private pilot’s license. “The WAI Great Lakes Chapter is building an inclusive, diverse and global aviation and aerospace industry – starting here in the Great Lakes Region.”

Members vary in age and career stage, from high school senior to retirees.

“In our chapter, some members are corporate pilots (business jets), some are airline pilots, some are certified flight instructors,” explained Perry, who has a private pilot’s license. “We have some non-flying occupations too, including, aircraft mechanics, airport operations officers, flight dispatch personnel, trip schedulers, line technicians, aircraft management staff, aviation authors, avionics manufacturers, aerospace engineers, FAA employees, and more.”

“Goal is to increase female representation”

“There is a significant gender gap in most aspects of aviation, and our goal is to increase the female representation in all aerospace occupations. While there are certain aspects of aviation that have larger female populations (flight attendants, for example), other occupations (engineering and maintenance, for example) could benefit from increased diversity.”