Women make up half the college-educated workforce in the U.S., yet only 6 percent of pilots are women — a fact that independent filmmaker Katie McEntire Wiatt explores in her ongoing project, “Fly Like a Girl.” “Our goal with the film is to explore the questions, why aren’t more women and girls involved in aviation, and how can we change that?” Wiatt told AVweb this week. “We feel that with the current concerns over a pilot shortage, women could really step up and save the day.” Wiatt’s company, Atlantic Films, is based in Lakeland, Florida, which led her to discover the aviation world via Sun ‘n Fun. “I saw Patty Wagstaff fly, and I was just blown away by her skill and dedication,” Wiatt says. “I just felt really inspired.”
As a former schoolteacher, Wiatt is also aware of the barriers that keep girls from seeking out opportunities in science and technology fields. The film examines why many young girls don’t see themselves as potentially successful in these fields and explores how society can begin to change this perception. “The outpouring of support from the aviation community has been amazing,” says Wiatt. “It seems everyone we reach out to wants to be involved in helping to tell the story.” Wiatt will be talking about her film on Sun ‘n Fun Radio next Friday, April 7, at 9:30 a.m., at the show, and invites anyone on the grounds to stop by and say hi, or catch up with her via Facebook at flylikeagirlfilm.
