OSH KOSH, Wis. -- Women make up less than 10 percent of pilots and there's a huge focus at the annual EAA AirVenture to get women interested in aviation related careers.
EAA AirVenture is an annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts in July. About 10,000 planes fly into Oshkosh during the event with 500,000 people attending.
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This is the 10th year EAA has set aside a special day to celebrate women in aviation, known as WomenVenture. Activities and forums take place all week, with special events taking place on July 26.
Early Wednesday morning, an all female flight crew landed a UPS Boeing 767 at EAA. Something that doesn't happen too often.
"I've never had that happen before," said Alyse Adkins, one of the captains of the flight that landed this morning.
"Of course it's unique and especially unique to fly with another female," said Adkins. "But I think we're seeing it more and more and I want to encourage other females to get into aviation, it's a great career."
She had a fellow female captain with her in the cockpit, and says they had a female intern on board and the dispatchers and mechanics were all women too.
"We maintain the whole airplane nose to tail," said Dorothy Marquette, who was one of the aircraft maintenance technicians on that crew.
She says her field is only about three percent women.
"Not as many as there should be," said Marquette. "The big plane shouldn't intimidate women, it's a good career field."
These careers are exactly what the Women Soar You Soarprogram aims to teach high school age girls during a four-day camp in Oshkosh.
"They show us the statistics, that there aren't very women at all," said Magdeline Bowers, a recent high school graduate who has participated in the Women Soar You Soar program all four years of high school.
She plans to study Airport Management next year in college. She says the Women Soar You Soar program opened her eyes to the opportunities for women in aviation.
"From engineers to pilots to military, everything," she said. "And no matter what you want to do, there's a mentor here for you."
EAA AirVenture continues through Sunday and the Blue Angels will perform Friday and Saturday night.
