The ninth annual Girls in Aviation Day took place at Flying Cloud Airport on Sept. 23. The event encourages and helps foster female participation in aviation-related careers.

While everyone was welcome to attend, the event was geared toward girls age 8 to 17 interested in aviation.

Eden Prairie Schools showcased a flight simulator from its ‘Intro to Aircraft and Spacecraft’ and ‘You Can Fly: Careers in Aerospace’ courses at the high school. Both courses are being offered for the first time this year.

“It’s been going really well. The kids are pretty enthusiastic,” said course teacher Michael Nehring. “I taught them how to read navigation charts for aviation so they are able to understand what the symbols are, and where different airports are.”

Attendees of Girls in Aviation Day could meet with representatives from major airlines, the military, local universities, flight schools, engineering firms, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).