Aviation group looks for would-be pilots at Girls in Aviation event

TAMPA, Fla. — The office view is a little different if you’re a pilot.

Victoria Jones used to be a salesperson for the banking industry in a building.

Now she’s a flight instructor at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands in Tampa, and a leader at the Women in Aviation organization.

“I used to travel a lot for my job, so every time I got on an airplane, I would peek inside the cockpit,” Jones said. “I’d just see all the buttons and switches and just thought, ‘I wonder how hard that would be.’”

So she took what’s called a discovery flight with a flight instructor.

“You get to have your hands on the controls and fly around. I loved that feeling. And I haven’t looked back ever since,” said Jones.

One of the planes she flies is the Skyhawk Cessna 172.

Jones follows a pre-flight checklist on the tarmac before taking to the skies, inspecting wings and lights.

Was she ever nervous about all this?

“Yes, it just takes repetition,” she said. “Checking the plane’s oil.”

It’s all good.

What’s not good?

There aren’t many female pilots around.

“Six percent of pilots in the U.S. are female. So, in the state of Florida, there are only a few thousand female pilots,” said Jones.

This weekend’s event, “Girls in Aviation,” puts young women inside the planes.

Everyone is welcome, especially those who may not have been exposed to this kind of opportunity in this kind of field.

And Jones is making a difference.

“It’s very exciting; each year we have more young women — and women of all ages — that are getting involved in aviation,” said Jones.

Tickets are free, but signing up for “Girls in Aviation Day 2025” is mandatory.