{"id":9183,"date":"2021-03-18T13:10:05","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T17:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=9183"},"modified":"2021-03-18T13:10:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T17:10:20","slug":"fly-like-a-girl-documentary-helps-inspire-next-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2021\/03\/18\/fly-like-a-girl-documentary-helps-inspire-next-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Fly Like a Girl\u2019 documentary helps inspire next generation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Largely filmed in Florida, movie follows females who dare to aim higher<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fly Like a Girl Official Trailer\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/24G5qfbB_AA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fly Like A Girl is more than just a film. It\u2019s a movement of young girls and women relentlessly pursuing their passion for aviation. A field currently dominated by men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hearing first-hand stories from girls and women who dared to aim higher. From a lego-loving young girl who includes female pilots in her toy airplanes, to a courageous woman who helped lead shuttle missions to space, Fly Like A Girl shows us that women are in charge of their own destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a field currently dominated by men, one Florida film is encouraging young girls and women to fly to new heights by telling the stories of passionate female aviators and showcasing the next generation aspiring to be one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flylikeagirl.film\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fly Like a Girl<\/a>\u201d was mostly filmed and produced in Lakeland and features stories from a group of strong and zealous females, including Lego-loving and future aviator Afton Kinkade to iconic aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flylikeagirl.film\/filmmakers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Director Katie McEntire Wiatt<\/a>, a Florida native, said she first developed the idea for the film during her time as a fourth grade teacher in Polk County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;\u201cOne of the things that I started to notice in the classroom is that there was often times a real disconnect between young girls and STEM subjects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wiatt remembers when Central Florida organization&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/flysnf.org\/2021-aerospace-expo\/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi7yCBhDJARIsAMWFScMwdFUcv_xzPdvTdfj_0nHt4yhRsgdIDwnmcUpYVUw5OUWU0hC5s9gaAnmNEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sun \u2018n Fun Aerospace Expo<\/a>&nbsp;came to her school to do a presentation and a female pilot came along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd the girls in my class just lit up and they had so many questions for her,\u201d she said. \u201cI started thinking. \u2018They have not ever seen a female pilot before.\u2019 So it became my goal to really get more women in STEM subjects in front of them, whether it be through reading or in person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While teaching, Wiatt, who has a background in film, also occasionally worked with Lakeland-based production company Indie Atlantic Films. A few years later, she decided to leave the classroom and pursue filmmaking full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The up-and-coming director said she always knew she wanted to make documentaries and it was her experience as a school teacher that inspired her debut film. It took her around three years to make it to the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wanted to do for my first documentary something that was really going to encourage and inspire and (I) sort of connected it back to my experience in the classroom with aviation and STEM subjects,\u201d she said. \u201cFlorida has a lot of aviation in general. We were really lucky in that aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wiatt\u2019s film highlighting women in the aviation industry comes as the number of women fulfilling such roles has steadily increased over the last two decades, according to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wai.org\/resources\/waistats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women in Aviation International<\/a>. However, WAI points out that the numbers are still small compared to the number of men dominating the industry. Only 7.9% of pilots are women, whereas 79.2% are flight attendants. The numbers dwindle when it comes to more college degree-related roles, like flight engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;\u201cGirls as young as the age of six are more inclined to think that their own gender is not as smart as boys when it comes to STEM subjects,\u201d Wiatt said. \u201cI mean, as young as six, to think that maybe you might not be able to do science or math as well as your male counterparts &#8230; (it) isn\u2019t something that we want for our girls. I want girls to see that there are really smart, intelligent, strong women out there in these fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And \u201cFly Like A Girl\u201d features some of the best, brightest and sassiest in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Film watchers hear from Vernice Armour,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vernicearmour.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the first female African American combat pilot in the U.S. armed forces<\/a>&nbsp;who says she broke barriers not just for herself but for the aspiring pilots coming after her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow we need to make sure we\u2019re giving each other the opportunities to get there and we\u2019re not going to wait for a break, we have to make our break,\u201d the Marine says in the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wiatt said what one sees during the documentary is just part of Armour\u2019s story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe\u2019s had a series of first and she is just one of those people that\u2019s super determined and didn\u2019t give up when she wasn\u2019t accepted into the Marine Corps the first few times,\u201d Wiatt said. \u201c(She) just kept really pushing to do what she wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The film features at least a dozen women like Armour who didn\u2019t quit on their dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/stott-np.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Retired NASA astronaut and local Central Floridian Nicole Stott<\/a>&nbsp;shares her experience as a flight engineer and mission specialist on screen while encouraging women to touch the sky and reach for the stars.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/dreamssoar.org\/shaestas-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shaesta Waiz is the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan<\/a>&nbsp;and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. She is also among the extraordinary group of diverse girls and women pushing for representation in the aviation industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s so important from a very early age for girls to see real examples of real women in a variety of careers,\u201d Wiatt said. \u201cGetting young girls to see that there are women out there connecting them with the women doing these things: scientists, doctors, pilots, you know, aviation engineers and mechanics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFly Like a Girl\u201d is also garnering national attention for not just the women it features, but the aspiring aviators confident in their dreams and pursuing their passions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The film\u2019s trailer opens with images of a Lego-built aerobatic plane, inspired by Wagstaff. The plane, built by young Kinkade is a reoccurring theme as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/aftonkinkade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the student pilot shares<\/a>&nbsp;her thoughts about girls in aviation and her dream to one day sit in the captain\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople don\u2019t get interested in aviation, they just think, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s an airplane and it gives you travel,\u2019 but it\u2019s more than that,\u201d Kinkade said in the film\u2019s trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kinkade also exudes confidence, proving her generation will fearlessly take flight and shamelessly beat the boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditionally, girls haven\u2019t been nurtured to pursue careers in the flight industry, but those who were and are are making history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think because it just takes so much determination and grit, especially in those early days, to go into any aviation field,\u201d Wiatt said. \u201cI think that for all of us, sometimes we want things to come easy, and we want them to come fast. You know, that\u2019s how our society is. But sometimes it just takes hard work and determination. And I think women especially are really created to be hard workers and to do the hard stuff. And so I think that if they see this film, I hope that whatever it is, they\u2019ll consider following what that dream is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFly Like a Girl\u201d made its official debut in October 2020. The documentary is currently available on Amazon Prime Video and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flylikeagirl.film\/#watch-section\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;other streaming platforms<\/a>, distributed by Gravitas Ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the Florida locations children can learn about aviation include the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/getting-results\/2015\/11\/03\/getting-results-award-winner-young-eagles-flight-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Young Eagles<\/a>&nbsp;program,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitaviation.com\/about-us\/flight-camp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">F.I.T Aviation Flight Camps<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/erau.edu\/degrees\/k-12-summer-programs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Embry Riddle&nbsp;<\/a>Dual Enrollment and\/or Summer Camps,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalflightacademy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Flight Academy<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridaairmuseum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Florida Air Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Largely filmed in Florida, movie follows females who dare to aim higher Fly Like A Girl is more than just a film. It\u2019s a movement of young girls and women&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"0","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":71799,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}