JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The new world record holder for the youngest woman to fly solo around the world made a pit stop in Jacksonville on her way to making history.
Zara Rutherford, 19, stopped in Jacksonville because of its significance with Bessie Coleman, a Black female aviator. Jacksonville's Women in Aviation chapter welcomed Rutherford to town and its members still feel inspired by the visit.
"It was incredible," said Brianna Dittman, president of the WIA Jacksonville chapter. "It was overwhelming to be a part of that. I started flying whenever I was 19, so watching somebody that is so brave and courageous that has such a huge goal to want to fly around the globe. And she is in the middle of accomplishing that and she wants us to be a part of it, and just being able to watch her and see how inspirational it is."
Inspiration is part of what the aviation industry needs to fill empty pilot seats. Boeing predicts a need for 600,000 new pilots in the next two decades.
The trucking industry is working to encourage more women to join in order to address its worker shortage, and Dittman believes the pilot shortage can be addressed the same way. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows only 8% of pilots are women.
"It is so important to have women within the industry," Dittman said. "Women bring something additional. Women are powerhouses, so women are able to accomplish whatever they want to. Having women in industries like aviation, it shows you that this isn't exclusive to men."
Although there are scholarships for women aspiring to be pilots, Dittman points to something many in the industry say keeps many would-be pilots out: the cost. According to ATP Flight School it costs nearly $90,000 to become a commercial pilot with no experience.
"The cost to get to where you're actually employable whenever you're a pilot, it's exponential," Dittman said. "It's a very expensive endeavor. That is something that stops a lot of people is the financial costs to it."
Even so, Dittman is already working on her next Girls in Aviation Day to inspire more young women to discover the industry.