Women in Aviation: Pilots gather in Henley-on-Thames

The event in Henley will be the third of its kind organised by Elevate Her

Women aviators from across the UK and Europe are gathering in Henley-on-Thames for an event aimed at connecting and inspiring women in the industry.

About 85 people are expected at the annual event, organised by Elevate Her - a group seeking to increase the number of women in aviation.

Pilots, air traffic controllers and engineers are among those attending.

Organisers say it will be the largest gathering of women from across the aviation industry in Europe.

It is being hosted at The Wing - the headquarters of watchmaker Bremont - and features keynote speaker airline captain Emma Henderson MBE.

Airline captain Emma Henderson set up Project Wingman to help frontline NHS staff

Capt Henderson flew passenger jets for a decade before taking redundancy during the pandemic.

She subsequently set up Project Wingman - a charity involving furloughed and redundant airline workers offering mental health support to frontline NHS staff.

The project led to her being made an MBE in the 2021 New Year's Honours list.

Elevate Her is an online resource platform and community, aided by volunteers, which aims to increase the percentage of women in aviation professions.

Founder Katherine Moloney said: "This event is so important as it provides a chance for women in aviation to come together, connect, and talk all things aviation.

"Females represent only 5% of pilots in the UK, so events like this are vital for women to come together, support and inspire each other."

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