VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Every year the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University hosts a Women in Aviation day for students from Volusia and Flagler counties to explore career fields in aviation, engineering and aerospace.

What You Need To Know

  • According to Women in Aviation International, in the last two decades, the number of women involved in the aviation industry has steadily increased, and women can be found in nearly every aviation occupation today

  • The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University wants to encourage more women to explore career fields in aviation, engineering and aerospace

  • Flight instructor Gabriella Szucs has been working with freshman Carolena Samtora since August 2023 at Embry-Riddle 

  • Being part of a minority of women who aspire to become pilots, Carolena says having a mentor like Gabi has made it a lot easier to be in this field

According to Women in Aviation International, in the last two decades, the number of women involved in the aviation industry has steadily increased and women can be found in nearly every aviation-related occupation today.

However, the numbers are small by comparison. Women pilots, for example, represent only 6% of the total pilot population.

That’s why professors and staff at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have made it one of their goals to encourage more women to pursue careers in this field. On Tuesday, they hosted an activity fair on campus where girls from 15 schools had the opportunity to interact and learn more about STEM and careers in the aeronautical field.

“Women in Aviation show STEM in context. So, these programs that they’re going to see, they never would see in the classroom," said Amy Monahan, STEM Specialist for Volusia County Schools. "These are programs that they might not even know exist and then maybe will become their future. And they need to see it to believe it. They need to see girls doing what they could possibly be doing and go from there."

At the event, one of the exhibit tables is labeled “Aviation Learning Center,” where Embry-Riddle University Professor Michele Halleran starts with a question: “Anybody want to learn how to fly?” She then proceeds to teach sixth-graders how to build a plane out of candy.

“I love days like this because it proves that there are many more women interested in a field where it’s very male dominated,” Halleran said.

That’s something the university is working to change, with their Women in Aviation program encouraging girls to explore careers in aviation, engineering and aerospace.

“Women are so underrepresented in aeronautical engineering. There’s only about 8.5% women in the aeronautical engineering field that would actually build this airplane," Halleran said.

"There’s only 5% of women that would actually fly them in the airlines. So, to see this and all the young girls, you can do this. Now, obviously, it’s going to be way more complicated than a piece of candy. But at the same time, aerodynamics is aerodynamics. And the shape of it is not going to change so much."

She said the two main barriers to flying aren’t inherently gender specific. They include money for flight training, $50,000 to $75,000 extra on top of college tuition costs, and family life and how to leave that family life while being on the road all the time.

At Embry-Riddle, students take flight lessons on the runway, where they are paired with a flight instructor. Just before taking off, flight instructor Gabriella Szucs works with freshman Carolena Samtora on a pre-flight check.

“We just do a pre-flight, she does one, and then I come out and then I do my pre-flight, so just kind of having two sets of eyes to verify that the airplane is ready to fly,” Szucs said.

As they take a look at the checklist, they go around the plane, making sure everything looks good. Szucs got paired with her student Carolena as part of her private pilot flight training.

“I love flying. It’s such a freeing time,” Szucs said.

The two have been working together since August 2023. “I love working with her. She is actually my only, my first and only female student as of now,” Gabi said.

Originally from Fort Mill, S.C., Samtora started at Embry-Riddle in August 2023 to pursue her major in Aeronautical Science. Her goal is to become an international pilot for American Airlines to follow in her aunt’s footsteps.

“My aunt came here and has been flying and coming home from like all of her flights," Samtora said. "And then she got me a Discovery flight and it pretty much sold it for me from that point on." She is now finishing up her last requirements to get her private pilot license.

According to the most recent report by FAA. as of December 2023, there were only 82,817 women pilot in aviation compared to a total of 806,940 men pilot — meaning that just over 9.3% of all pilots in the U.S. are women.  

As Samtora gets ready to take off, she says it is a career that takes a lot of dedication and perseverance.

“It’s pretty much constantly thinking ahead, thinking about my next step that I am going to be doing.”

She says it can be challenging at times. “You can have a really good flight one day and the next day like, you know, just things don’t seem to be going your way.”

For Szucs, getting to work and inspire a woman colleague in the field is special.

“I was in her shoes once, like a couple of years ago. So just being able to kind of relive that and help her and be her little cheerleader is like the coolest thing ever,” she said.

Being part of a minority of women who aspire to become pilots, Samtora says having a mentor like Szucs has made it a lot easier to be in this field.

“Every day she inspires me more and more, makes me feel so much more comfortable and better about the whole situation and that I know that I am in the profession I want to be in,” Samtora said.

After a successful flight, Szucs shares her advice for future women thinking about a career in aviation. “Don’t be scared to get into aviation, it might be intimidating in the beginning that it is such a male dominant career path, but with hard work and if you are dedicated to it, then you can do whatever you want to do," she said.

Back in the classroom, Professor Halleran teaches the next generation of aviation professionals, hoping to keep inspiring them to reach new heights.

This weekend the Women in Aviation International (WIA) is hosting its 35th annual Women in Aviation Conference presented by United Airlines running from Thursday, March 21 to Saturday, March 23.

The three-day industry conference will be an opportunity for aspiring and experienced aviators to engage and network with leaders across the industry and learn about career opportunities – from pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, digital technology and more.

Recruiters and representatives from Aviate, United’s pilot development program, will be onsite to answer questions about careers in the flight deck and entry requirements. United will also conduct onsite pilot interviews.

The conference will take place at the Orlando World Center Marriott located at 8701 World Center Dr, Orlando, Fla., 32821.