LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With a steady hand, Rheaonna Hinkle took her first crack at a flight simulator.

She’s never been up in a small plane but has flown in a helicopter before.

“I was in Mrytle Beach; we just rode over the city," Hinkle said. "It was really cool."

Hinkle and her fellow female classmates explored careers in aviation at The Academy at Shawnee’s airplane hangar as part of the third annual "Girls in Aviation Day." 

"This is one of the events that we do to try and engage our female students," said Rachelle Wood, Shawnee High School Academy coach. "That's why we focus on having female representatives here." 

“Just talking to a couple of the young ladies, a lot of young ladies don’t understand there are opportunities in aviation, not just being a pilot but working for air traffic controllers, aviation mechanics and aviation engineers."

Wood, a Massachusetts native, added she’s never known another high school to have an aviation program.

There were also professionals on hand representing the Air National Guard and Louisville Aviation.

“What’s exciting about it is we get to learn new things,” said Asia Gabriel, eighth grader. 

Gabriel said the event piqued her interest in the aviation industry. Students took turns flying with simulators, looking over the school’s one single-engine plane, learning about aviation mechanics and engineering and watching drone demonstrations.

Austin Green, senior and aviation student, hopes the program continues to grow and encourages female students to consider the aviation pathway.

“We want to see a lot more because right now, it’s only like six people in my class," Green said. "But hopefully, as the years go by, there will be more than that."