Minneapolis crowd celebrates Girls in Aviation Day
The twelfth annual Girls in Aviation Day brought about 2,000 people to Flying Cloud Airport near Minneapolis on September 19.
Aspiring aviators and enthusiasts got to step into airplanes ranging from a single-seat Schempp-Hirth Arcus glider to a hulking de Havilland Canada DHC–2 Beaver on amphibious floats. Ashley Almquist, winner of the AOPA 2026 Sweepstakes Aviat Husky, flew there in the distinctive orange, gray, and white airplane in which she recently earned her tailwheel endorsement.
“We were blown away by the community support and the energy,” Yeu said. “This was our biggest year yet in attendance.”
Girls in Aviation Day began as a flying offshoot of national Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, and organizers said it’s taken on a life of its own—particularly in the Minneapolis area, which sometimes draws larger crowds and more sponsors than any other WAI chapter in the United States.
Yeu said the event has no marketing budget and information spreads organically.
“We put on an event that’s family friendly, joyful, and easy to access—and our exhibitors make it so much fun,” she said. “People have a great time, and they return the next year with their friends and family.”
