“If you have any questions, even five years from now, you can always call me,” said Capt. Cheri Rohlfing when chatting with a young student who aspires to be a pilot one day.

This simple yet impactful gesture was seen throughout the day on Sept. 20 as Delta hosted its annual Women Inspiring the Next Generation (WING) Flight in celebration of Girls in Aviation Day – bringing 136 girls ages 11-18 from Atlanta to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a chartered Boeing 737-900 aircraft that was piloted, staffed and crewed entirely by women. For the third consecutive year, Delta is the only commercial airline that has ever landed directly in Cape Canaveral – the “Space Coast” famous for rocket launches and space exploration.

The annual flight, created in 2015 by Delta’s Flight Operations in partnership with Women in Aviation International, introduces young girls to careers in aviation that they may not have been aware of, including traditionally male-dominated roles, and gives them an opportunity to engage directly with women in those roles to inspire interest in pursuing careers in aviation.

“Many aviation and aerospace jobs are historically male dominated, so getting the best talent for Delta – especially from underrepresented groups – has to start early,” said Beth Poole, Delta’s General Manager of Pilot Development and WING Flight co-founder. “The WING Flight is an opportunity to introduce young women to career opportunities, to show them what they can be when they work hard and dream big, and to emphasize how positively and profoundly women impact our business and the world of aviation.”

Nine schools and organizations with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), many with whom Delta partners as part of the airline’s support of STEM programming in the Atlanta Public School System, were able to select students to participate.

The flight kicked off with a special water cannon salute, conducted by the Atlanta Fire Department, before students enjoyed a delicious breakfast, looked through bookbags stuffed with Delta goodies, and passed around friendship bracelets gifted by the Delta family – which featured Delta widget charms that were 3D printed by Delta’s TechOps team.

Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, the eager students spent the day engaging with NASA leaders through a “Women in STEM” panel discussion and tours of Space Shuttle Atlantis® and Apollo/Saturn V Center, which featured interactive space exhibits, at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

“The whole day was like magic. To experience this for the first time with my other Delta colleagues was like a dream come true for me,” said Delta First Officer Hiwot Taddesse. “Like so many of these young girls, I always knew I wanted to fly, but I didn’t know anyone in the aviation industry to help guide me. We’ve come a long way since then, especially with events like the WING Flight. Now, our next generation of girls have more opportunities to see themselves represented in each of us.”

Currently, 42% of Delta’s total workforce is made up of women, but still only a fraction of pilots, ramp agents and Technical Operations employees are women – numbers Delta is actively working to increase. This program is part of Delta’s broader efforts to close opportunity gaps for women in aviation and to generate a more diverse talent pipeline.

"Seeing and experiencing the possibilities for a fulfilling career in aviation and aerospace is the first step toward believing you can achieve such a goal," said Gina Laughlin, Vice President - Global Brand Communications at Delta. "Delta's WING flight celebrates these possibilities and the future generation of aviation professionals. It's a privilege to spend the day with so many inspiring young women and my female Delta colleagues who made the day so successful."