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Community Corner

Flying the Friendly Renton Skies

. . . and it's free, for women.

Back at the end of December, Delta Airlines pilot and Renton resident, Karlene Pettit organized a free event, dubbed “Fly it Forward,” which had the dual purpose of being part of a worldwide celebration of the Centennial of Women Pilots and a push to help Renton Municipal Airport earn the designation of the Most Female-Pilot-Friendly Airport in the World.  Sadly, we missed out by a whisker, but as Karlene points out in her excellent blog post on the event, we started late but had an AMAZING finish and ultimately earned a top finish in the United States!

This event, designed to promote flying as a hobby or career for women, offered free airplane or helicopter flights to women and girls—some as young as one year of age—on December 30th and 31st, 2010.  It was an amazing experience that changed perceptions and the lives of many of its participants.  However, due to its somewhat last-minute nature and timing over a holiday, many women and girls who might otherwise have had the chance to fly missed out.

If this was you, though, you’re in luck!  Karlene is spearheading an effort to stage another such event in commemoration of Women of Aviation Week!  March 13th is the big day, so plan ahead and then get thee to the website to register for your spot! 

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Specifics to note: “To qualify for the free flight, registrants and guests must be female, not hold any pilot licenses, and not have previously flown in a small aircraft (previous commercial flights are OK).”

Based on previous experience, if you’re planning on bringing a child small enough to need a car seat or booster, ask ahead of time to see what restraints might be necessary on the plane.

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Always dreamed of being the one in the pilot’s seat?  Enter Karlene’s essay contest, “Why I Want to Fly,” and earn a chance to win $100 towards introductory flight lessons, three introductory flights from Galvin Flight Service, or one of 10 “Flight to Success” T-shirts.

Happy flying, and Fly it Forward!

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