by Northland Community & Technical College
When you think of aviation, what do you think about? Do you think about the Wright brothers and their contributions to modern aviation or possibly the flight of Charles Lindbergh, who spent his childhood in nearby Little Falls, Minnesota? Aviation is so many things to so many people, and a pivotal part of modern day life. A commonly overlooked fact is the huge role that women have played in all aspects of aviation. Pioneers from Amelia Earhart to Rosie the Riveter to Sally Ride have shown the world how women play a huge role in all aspects of aviation.
Rosie the Riveter is a prime example of how women have worked to bring the aviation industry to where it is today. During the time of Rosie and World War II, the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers ever. More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, making up 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years). Without women in the industry, history might tell a much different story.
One of the lesser-known roles women played in aviation at the same time was the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs. These women, each of whom had already obtained their pilot’s license prior to service, became the first women to fly American military aircraft. They ferried planes from factories to bases, transporting cargo and participating in simulation strafing and target missions, accumulating more than 60 million miles in flight distances and freeing thousands of male U.S. pilots for active duty in World War II. More than 1,000 WASPs served, and 38 of them lost their lives during the war.
On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space as a crewmember on space shuttle Challenger. With this flight, she became the youngest American to travel to space at the age of 32. If she wouldn’t have challenged traditional thinking, she may have never enabled women to strive for greatness in aviation and aerospace.
Northland Community & Technical College understands the significant role that women play in aviation. Here, women make education happen in our aviation maintenance technician (AMT), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) maintenance, and geospatial intelligence (GeoInt) programs. They work on the latest equipment in their industry and are introduced to companies for potential career opportunities. Some have jobs before they graduate! There also are now clubs and organizations dedicated to women in aviation and aviation maintenance. These organizations are seeing membership growing by leaps and bounds. We encourage participation in conferences designed specifically for women interested in and working in aviation.
A former female AMT and UAS student said, “My job will make a difference. People can’t get where they need to go if I don’t do my job right.” She went on, “Women can do it (aviation maintenance) just as well, and we can actually work on a lot of things easier because we are smaller.”
With current workforce shortages in the aviation maintenance industry, women are needed to fill these jobs across the country. With a degree from NCTC in one of our aviation programs, you have a ticket to basically work when and where you would like. Starting salaries are generous and the ability to move up within your company can occur quickly for those that are motivated.
Historically, men have dominated the aviation workforce, but that is changing. There is no better time than now to get training and launch a new career in the high demand fields of aviation and aerospace.
One female NCTC graduate concluded, “You face challenges in any field and there’s always those types of people who doubt your abilities in any field, so keep your head and keep doing what you’re taught to do and do it well. You’ll go far.”
Interested in aviation at Northland? Northland recently developed a virtual tour so you can check out the aviation campus from the comfort of your home, any time of the day. You can check it out from your phone at: www.tournorthland.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (DUE 1501629). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
