Pilots, medics inspire Girl Scouts at Naples Airport
The Floridant/10316865

NAPLES, Fla. - Floridant -- More than 50 Girl Scouts had opportunities to climb aboard vintage planes, learn aircraft marshalling signals, and meet Collier County MedFlight pilots and EMTs during Girls in Aviation Day at Naples Airport.

Held Sept. 6 at the Naples Airport, Girls in Aviation Day was a collaborative event between the airport and Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida designed to help girls and young women explore career opportunities within aviation.

"I'm passionate about women flying and passionate about showing girls that you can do it, no matter how old you are or where you come from," said Cristina Migoni-Jones, who displayed her Cessna Skyhawk and Piper Cherokee 180 at the event. "I learned to fly when I was 42 and you're never too old. If you have the passion, work hard and don't give up, you'll get there."

"Realize, first, your natural talents and what you really want to do," added Jessica Stearns, a retired major in the U.S. Air Force and Continental Airlines captain who now primarily flies a 1945 Piper J-3 Cub. "I knew when I was five (years old) that I was going to be a pilot and I got tired of being told, 'No, you can't do that,' and I did it anyway. I took my first flight lesson at age 16 and I'm still at it."

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Girl Scouts navigated between four stations during Girls in Aviation Day: a classroom session where they learned the phonetic alphabet used in aviation communication, interacted with MedFlight helicopter pilots and EMTs, experienced a hands-on session learning how to marshal aircraft with orange wands, and met with female pilots who had their personal aircraft on display, with some girls opting to sit in the cockpit.

"I think it's so important for the girls to see women in aviation; it's a field that doesn't often have a lot of female representation," said Mary Mathews, a member engagement specialist for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. "It's been such an incredible day to see women in roles that girls can aspire to and get information that they might not have otherwise thought about."

In addition to frozen custard and Italian ice provided by Rita's, each Girl Scout also received a swag bag stuffed with aviation-themed items along with a pink Stanley tumbler and a custom Naples Airport fun patch.

Girl Scout Elisa Lopez left with a smile and a desire to spend more time in airplanes.

"You get to be in the clouds and you get to see the view," Elisa said.