Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) programme.

 

The most important number to remember about 30-year-old Shaesta Waiz’s record-setting round-the-world flight is not the 24,816 nautical miles flown in 176 flight in 2017 hours across 145 days, not the 30 stops in 22 countries, but the 3,000 young lives she touched in 32 outreach events.

“ICAO has been a huge help since Dreams Soar was first conceived, introducing me to aviation officials in so many of the countries … providing flight safety and route advice, and helping to organize the global support and cooperation.” ICAO’s support for Dreams Soar is part of its Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) programme, focused on attracting young people to fill the hundreds of thousands of career positions coming available for new pilots and other skilled air transport personnel.

Every time I open the door of an aircraft, I ask myself, ‘How did a girl with my background become so lucky? The truth is, anyone can be me,” remarks Captain Shaesta Waiz. Born in a refugee camp into a family fleeing the Afghan-Soviet war. Grew up in an underprivileged neighborhood in northern California in the United States. Took her first ride on an airplane at age 19. “I went inside the airplane. I sat down. I was sweating. I was thinking that the plane was probably going to launch into the sky like a rocket and it was going to be like a roller coaster. But when the plane took off – my life completely changed. I fell in love with aviation,” she recalls. That led her to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, where she founded the Women’s Ambassadors Program in 2011 to increase female enrollment, which grew from 13 to 22 percent in less than three years through a modeled mentor program. Then came the idea for Dreams Soar, a mission to inspire the Next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and aviation professionals. “I was able to get in front of 3,000 kids from all over the world and talk about Dreams Soar. The most important part of all these events was that the kids, especially the young girls, could see that you can come from nothing and achieve your wildest dreams if you work hard at it, and you work persistent, and you apply yourself,” Capt. Waiz says. “When I went to Afghanistan, I was blown away. There were about 300 people, mostly women, with flowers.” Capt. Waiz is considering starting a school in her native country that will allow young girls to pursue STEMeducations. “It would enable and empower women in the country, and they can use their knowledge to help Afghan people with many difficulties they face.” The first stop on her global circumnavigation was Columbus, Ohio, hometown of the late Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1964 and who had been an inspiration and mentor to Capt. Waiz. On 17 May, to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the first nonstoptransatlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh, she landed her 2001 Beechcraft Bonanza A36 in Montréal, Canada to participate in the InternationalAviation Women’s Association Connect event at ICAO Headquarters. “ICAO has been honoured to be a main Dreams Soar supporter throughout Shaesta’s campaign,” commented ICAO’s current (and first female) Secretary General, Dr Fang Liu. “Shaesta’s objectives align so well not only with our established NGAP programme, but also the new Gender Equality Programme we have recently launched. We have been very grateful for this unique opportunity to help her inspire so many young, enthusiastic women and girls.” According to Boeing and the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, only 6 percent of airline pilots worldwide are women. “I have a very strong passion for aviation that I want to share. I want to show women that they can succeed in anything – including flying around the world,” Capt. Waiz says. “My aviation dreams have had a huge impact in making me the pilot and the woman I am today, and I’m very grateful for ICAO’s recognition and support.” Dreams Soar’s historic global solo flight departed 13 May 2017 and returned 4 October 2017 to Daytona Beach, Florida.