In 1999, the first Discover Aviation Camp hosted 17 campers. The only thing missing during that first camp was experiencing an actual flight. By 2003 the camp had arranged the proper insurance and safe guards to allow Girl Scouts to fly and since that year, over 150 Girl Scouts have experienced a flight lesson.
“The Ninety-Nines are very pleased with the growing success of Discover Aviation Camp and the Girls Can Fly program,” said NBAA Representative and camp coordinator Stacy Howard. “Our aim is to provide a high quality, hands-on introduction to aviation and the flying experience. In this way we build a future for our industry and inspiration for the Girl Scouts who come here.”
Sponsors who have made donations to the Girl Scout Council in support of Aviation Camp include Flights For Life, volunteer pilots transport precious blood supplies between rural communities and the Phoenix area; U S Airways (now American Airlines); Deer Valley Pilots Association; Phoenix Sky Harbor Coalition; Wolf Aviation Fund; and the Arizona Sundance Chapter of The Ninety-Nines.
Girl Scouts Fly Helicopters At Guidance Aviation
In recent years, Discover Aviation established a relationship with Guidance Aviation, a world-class helicopter flight training facility at the Prescott Airport (KPRC). On June 18, 2014, Girl Scouts received VIP access to Guidance Aviation’s training facilities as well as its associated campus of Yavapai Community College. Campers enjoyed experiencing what it is like to sit in and touch the controls of Robinson R22’s, R44’s, and R66 helicopters; take a part in helicopter ground school; and experience hands-on training in the NEXTGEN helicopter flight simulators by X-Copter at Guidance Aviation of Prescott, Arizona.
“We couldn’t do this without the help of Prescott Municipal Airport, the aviation businesses in Prescott, and, of course, the Girl Scouts Council, which subsidizes most of the costs of the camp and provides scholarships for some of the campers,” said Stacy Howard. [Source: NBAA, Arizona Camp Engages Young Girls in Considering Aviation Careers June 14, 2013 For more information on the camps, contact Stacy Howard at showard@nbaa.org
Article Contributors: Stacy Howard – NBAA.org, and Guidance Aviation
