It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a girl! Or at least it will be, if Lynda Meeks has her way.
Through her nonprofit group Girls With Wings, Meeks is on a mission to inspire and recruit more girls to take to the friendly skies.
For the second annual Aviation Inspiration Day last weekend, girls participated in hands-on presentations where they learned about flying and checked out the planes of the Commemorative Air Force's Minnesota Wing.
The girls-only event at Fleming Field in South St. Paul came about because of a need that Meeks, an active pilot, recognized. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, only about 6 percent of active pilots are women.
"When you ask girls why aren't there more girl pilots, they'll say because it's a boy's job," she said. "Hopefully, nobody's told them that, but that's what they perceive."
While weather conditions slowed actual test flights, the girls learned about aviation, including how to navigate a flight to Florida -- the most frequently requested location, thanks to Walt Disney World.
Someday, Meeks hopes, these girls will really take off as pilots.
Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177
