In Honor of Women of Aviation Worldwide Week, FlyGirls Celebrates Women Pilots Around The World!

by Jess Clackum

Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week (WOAW) is a global outreach initiative that takes place annually during the week of March 8, anniversary date of the world’s first female pilot license since 1910 and International Women’s Day since 1914. The week is designed to raise awareness of aviation opportunities available to girls of all ages while celebrating the accomplishments of past and present women of aviation. http://www.womenofaviationweek.org/about/women-of-aviation-week/

On Wednesday, March 9th, in honor of Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week, the FlyGirls team pays tribute to 24 courageous and inspiring women aviators in 24 hours. These women from all around the world have shattered the glass ceiling, broken barriers and challenged the status quo. Their courage and determination inspires us all. We are proud to honor their accomplishments!

Please join us in sharing on social media, the achievements of these courageous, inspiring women by sharing our facebook post and our tweets & instagrams (@FlyGirlsSeries) with the hashtags #FlyGirlsWCW24 & #WOAW16!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="406.0"] Niloofar Rahmani (Afghanistan). First woman pilot in the Afghan Air Force since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. First female fixed-wing Air Force aviator in Afghanistan’s history.  (Photo credit:  NDTV.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="361.0"] Karina Miranda (Chile). First Chilean woman pilot to break the sound barrier.  (Photo credit:  m.radiopolar.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700.0"] Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei and He Xiaoli (China). First female military pilots to join the Aerobatics Team of the People's Liberation Army of China.  (Photo credit:  Chinanews.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Line Bonde (Denmark). First Danish female F-16 pilot. (Photo credit:  F-16.net ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024.0"] Amsale Gualu (Ethiopia). First female captain in the history of Ethiopian Airlines.   (Photo credit: Ethiopian Airlines facebook) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="330.0"] Ulrike Flender (Germany). First female fighter pilot in the German Air Force, first German female tornado pilot, first European woman to graduate from the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Patricia Mawuli (Ghana). First female civilian pilot, first West African woman certified to build & maintain rotax engines. (Photo credit:  karlenepettitt.blogspot.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Tracey Curtis-Taylor (Great Britain). Former RAF pilot, first woman to fly solo (in open cockpit using basic instruments which are now period pieces) between England and Australia since British ATA pilot Amy Johnson in 1930.  (Photo credit:  independent.co.uk ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="319.0"] Fatemeh Azadeh (Iran). Pilot in command. (Photo credit:  theiranproject.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Ari Fuji (Japan). First Japanese woman Captain of a commercial airliner.  (Photo credit:  wsj.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Alia Twal (Jordan). One of only 20 women pilots in Jordan. (Photo credit:  CNN.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Irene Koki Mutungi (Kenya). First female black African captain for Kenya Airways.  (Photo credit:  mashada.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300.0"] Hnin Oo Wai and May Cho Win (Myanmar/Burma). First Burmese women pilots. (Photo credit:  Mizzima.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Ayesha Farooq (Pakistan). First female operational fighter pilot in the Pakistani Air Force.                 (Photo credit:  ndtv.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Lt. Katarzyna Tomiak (Poland). First female Polish Mig-29 Pilot. (Photo credit:  portel.pl ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400.0"] Svetlana Kapanina (Russia). World Aerobatic Champion, 40 gold medals.  (Photo credit: Reddit) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Esther Mbabazi (Rwanda). Rwanda’s first female pilot. (Photo credit:  Onobello.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="348.0"] Hanadi Zakriyya Hindi (Saudi Arabia). First woman pilot in Saudi Arabia. (Photo: indianmuslimnews.blogspot.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300.0"] Jane Trembath (South Africa). First woman pilot & Captain in South Africa to command long-range international flights.  (Photo credit: fly88.co.za) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024.0"] Mariam Al Mansouri (UAE). First UAE female pilot, led first strikes against ISIS.  (Photo credit: thenational.ae) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="660.0"] Marisol Chalas (USA). First US latina female National Guard Blackhawk helicopter pilot, commander of Reserve Blackhawk fleet. (Photo credit:  latino.foxnews.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="630.0"] Maria Eugenia Etcheverry (Uruguay). Fighter pilot & first Uruguayan woman Air Force commander.   (Photo credit:  gettyimages.com ) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300.0"] Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (Vietnam). First female Vietnamese pilot  (Photo credit:  Thailand.prd.go.th )  [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280.0"] Captains Chipo M. Matimba & Elizabeth Simbi Petros (Zimbabwe). Pilot & Co-pilot of Zimbabwe's all-female flight crew (Photo credit: facebook) [/caption]