My second Media Hub story came to me by accident. I was at a pitch meeting for Carolina Week and someone mentioned a flight event at Burlington Airport. Student pilots were offering free flights to other students just for fun. I googled the name of the organization and couldn’t find much information. So I reached out to someone named Ryan Shelton and asked if I could do a story on the group.
However, I needed an angle. The cool shots on an airplane would be amazing, but I needed to figure out what the bigger issue was. After more digging in to the world of aviation I found my story.
Only 7% of pilot certificates in the United States are held by women. I couldn’t believe it.
I operate on a campus that never makes me feel limited. I’ve never felt like I can’t do something because I’m a woman. No professor has ever doubted my ability to shoot and edit video. No one has ever told me I’m pushy when I jump in to claim a story. In my day to day life, I feel like women have come so far.
But that one statistic showed me just how far we have to go.
After doing some research and seeking some help from my professor I found the 99’s. A group created by women, for women, interested in aviation.
So, I set out to RDU to one of their meetings and listened. They were so interested in one another’s lives. So eager to hear about whether someone had gotten their instrument rating or where they were in their job search. Despite the fact that this group of women was in the midst of planning a pretty serious conference, sprinkled throughout the meeting were words of advice and support. They only cared about lifting one another up. It was so overwhelmingly positive.
After leaving that meeting, I was so full of love and support that I felt like I was flying.
Check out the full story below.
Madison Forsey 