Sisters of the Skies host their first Girls Rock Wings event in Metro Detroit
YPSILANTI, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Sisters of the Skies were in Metro Detroit to host their Girls Rock Wings event.
Girls Rock Wings was founded through Sisters of the Skies to make a greater impact and show young Black girls they could be pilots.
According to the Sisters of Skies website, the number of Black female pilots in 2016 was 15 at United Airlines and five in the U.S. Coast Guard.
"There's so many people who I talk to, and they're like, I didn't even think about being a pilot until I saw someone else doing it," says Detroit native Jayla Jackson, FO for Delta Airlines. "So I think that idea of I can do it so you can do it is huge, and there's going to be a lot more girls who think they can be a pilot, a doctor, or a lawyer or anything else because now they have that example set for them."
Looking to expand resources and representation, Girls Rock Wings allowed young ladies between the ages of 10 and 18 to spend a day gaining hands-on experience in the field of aviation, from air traffic control to ground operations and being a professional pilot.
"I didn't have that growing up, and so I didn't know who to talk to; I didn't know how to say, 'Hey, I want to get into flying,'" says Cian Greer, a 24-year-old pilot. "So just finding connections, if someone sees you in uniform, flying the airplane, they're like, okay, I can do this too. I think it's awesome to represent, especially for little girls who look like me, who might need their first connection into aviation."
Girls Rock Wings has made several stops across the country and continues to grow. With 2024 being their first time in metro Detroit, registration filled up in less than an hour. Many of the attendees are looking forward to seeing the event make a comeback.
"I'm so grateful for these events; even though we're here for the girls, it's really special to be together and see each other in uniform. It not only inspires them but inspires me to step up and be better, so I hope we can continue to do this for a long time," says Jackson.
