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Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week
WOAW WEEK.png
Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week logo
Observed by Men and women, worldwide
Type International civil awareness week
Date Week of March 8
2022 date March 7–13  (2022-03-07 - 2022-03-13)
2023 date March 6–12  (2023-03-06 - 2023-03-12)
2024 date March 4–10  (2024-03-04 - 2024-03-10)
2025 date March 3–9  (2025-03-03 - 2025-03-09)
Frequency Annual
Related to First female pilot licence worldwide anniversary | Raymonde de Laroche

Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week {WOAW} is a global aviation awareness week for girls of all ages observed to mark the anniversary of the world’s first female pilot licence (March 8, 1910). The week is a call to address gender imbalance in the air and space industry. It is not country or group specific.

Since March 2010, Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week's activities have been organized in 52 countries on 5 continents. 420,000 women and girls attended the Week's local hands-on activities. 69,768 women and girls experienced their first flight in a small aircraft in response to the Week's Fly It Forward® call to action.

History

In January 2010, Mireille Goyer, an airline-rated pilot and aviation educator, launched an international grassroots initiative to celebrate the centennial of the first female pilot license worldwide earned by Raymonde de Laroche on March 8, 1910.

Her Fly It Forward® call to action encouraged pilots from around the world to introduce record numbers of girls of any age to aviation during, what was then dubbed, "Women Pilots' Week". In 2011, the one-time celebration evolved into the annual "Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week".

By addressing the female population's lack of exposure to aviation activities, Goyer's Fly It Forward® initiative aims to fulfill the dream of the pioneering women pilots of 1910, namely to see women participate in all aspects of aviation.

On September 10, 2012, Mireille Goyer founded the Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW), a not-for-profit global industry alliance. It organizes The Week's various contests and tracks The Week's activities in addition to managing other initiatives that facilitate women's integration in the industry around the year. Led by a gender-balanced, all-volunteer, Board of Directors, iWOAW's mission is to foster gender balance in the air and space industry through outreach, education, and advocacy.

Activities and observances

Female-centric activities take place at airports and aerodromes around the world as well as in museums and aerospace businesses. Special commemoration flights are often conducted.

iWOAW organizes multiple challenges and contests during the week. The best known challenge, Fly It Forward®, rewards top performers with awards including "Most Female Friendly Airport Worldwide", "Most Female Friendly Community Worldwide", "Most Female Friendly Corporation Worldwide", "Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide", and "Most Supportive Male Pilot Worldwide".

Theme

Each year, a theme based on a global historical female breakthrough in the air and space industry highlights a specific sector of the industry.

List of themes (2010-2018)

  • 2010 – 100 years of licensed female pilots (world’s first female pilot license – Raymonde de Laroche, France)
  • 2011 – 100 years of female air racers (world first women to enter an air race – Hélène Dutrieu, Belgium
  • 2012 – 100 years of female seaplane pilots (world’s first seaplane pilot – Hélène Dutrieu, Belgium)
  • 2013 – 50 years of women in space (world's first female astronaut – Valentina Tereshkova, Russia)
  • 2014 – 100 years of female aerobatic pilots (world's first female aerobatic pilot – Lydia Zvereva, Russia)
  • 2015 – 100 years of female pilots in combat (world's first woman to fly in combat – Marie Marvingt, France)
  • 2016 – 60 years of female bush pilots (world's first female bush pilot – Ada Rogato, Brazil)
  • 2017 – 80 years of female helicopter pilots (world's first female helicopter pilot – Hanna Reitsch, Germany)
  • 2018 - 65 years of supersonic women (world's first woman to fly at the speed of sound - Jacqueline Cochran, USA)

List of Fly It Forward® Award Winners

Year

Most Female Pilot Friendly
Airport Worldwide

Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide

Most Supportive Male Pilot Worldwide

2010

Winner

Oshawa, ON  Canada

Amanda Sargent, Renton, WA  United States

Andrei Floroiu, New York, NY  United States

First Finalist

Renton, WA  United States

Allie Dunnington, Bristol  United Kingdom

Peter Morton, Renton, WA  United States

Second Finalist

Kpong Field  Ghana

Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON  Canada

Dick Smith, Renton, WA  United States

2011

Winner

Frederick, MD  United States

Dianna Stanger, Port Lavaca, TX  United States

Leith Barnhill, Arlington, WA  United States

First Finalist

Arlington, WA  United States

Lin Caywood, Frederick, MD  United States

Doug Raine, Oshawa, ON  Canada

Second Finalist

Port Lavaca, TX  United States

Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON  Canada

Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON  Canada

2012

Winner

Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Kirsten Brazier, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Derrick Robinson, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

First Finalist

Frederick, MD  United States

Megan Tyler, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Robert Ferlisi, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Second Finalist

Peterborough, ON  Canada

Lesley Page, Oshawa, ON  Canada

Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON  Canada
Ron Haslam Peterborough, ON  Canada

2013

Winner

St Andrews, Winnipeg, MB,  Canada

Kirsten Brazier, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Frank Roberts, St Andrews, Winnipeg, MB,  Canada

First Finalist

Yellowknife, NT,  Canada

Megan Tyler, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Geoff Furniss, Yellowknife, NT  Canada

Second Finalist

Waterloo, ON,  Canada

Dianna Stanger, Victoria, TX  United States

Glen Sibbeston, Yellowknife, NT,  Canada

2014

Winner

Langley, BC,  Canada

Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX  United States

Frank Walcher, Parksville, BC,  Canada | Tom Keane, Victoria, TX,  United States

First Finalist

Victoria, TX,  United States

Diana Jemson, Strathalbyn, SA  Australia

George Tecklenborg, Abbotsford, BC  Canada

Second Finalist

Lachute, QC,  Canada

Marguerite Varin, Lachute, QC  Canada

Euan Harrison, Caloundra, QLD,  Australia

2015

Winner

Albuquerque, NM,  United States

Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX  United States

Luc Bougie, Mascouche, QC,  Canada | Matt Norgrove, Bathurst, NSW,  Australia

First Finalist

Lachute, QC,  Canada

Ramona Cox, Torrance, CA  United States

David Carroll | Gary Penglis Bathurst, NSW,  Australia

Second Finalist

Saint Andrews, MB,  Canada

Diana Jemson, Strathalbyn, SA  Australia

Bryan Clements | Chris Stott | Nick Wills Bathurst, NSW,  Australia

2016

Winner

Edinburg, TX,  United States

Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX  United States

Yves Barbeau, Lachute, QC,  Canada

First Finalist

Lachute, QC,  Canada

Yasmina Platt, Houston, TX  United States

Hubert Wren, Peterborough, ON,  Canada

Second Finalist

Peterborough, ON,  Canada

Ingrid Kutzner, Peterborough, ON  Canada

Ron Haslam, Peterborough, ON,  Canada

2017

Winner

Albuquerque, NM,  United States

Dianna Stanger, Olivia, TX  United States

Sylvain Cantan, Bozas, Ardèche,  France

First Finalist

Lachute, QC,  Canada

Bobbie Lind, Albuquerque, NM,  United States

Yves Barbeau, Lachute, QC,  Canada

Second Finalist

Brampton, ON,  Canada

Susan Larson, Albuquerque, NM,  Canada

Bernard Chirol, Étables, Ardèche,  France

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