The Porch Flies High With Semper Fly Helicopters

An event coming up at Wiley Post Airport hopes to encourage more Oklahoma women to reach for the skies, organizers say.

Sept. 21 will be the annual Girls in Aviation Day, and the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch flew out to see what organizers have planned.

Brandi Rector, the owner of Semper Fly Helicopters, said her journey helping the next generation of women enter the field of aviation continues to grow.

"So we are OU's new helicopter flight school program that they are now offering," Rector said. "We just launched for this fall, so it's our first semester, getting spooled up. We have three helicopters, three instructors, we have nine students."

Rector said enrollment for the spring has opened, but spots are limited, so if you're interested, be sure to apply.

"If you're interested and you want to come in the spring, then you need to get enrolled before Oct. 1," Rector said. "Our deadline will be extended for the rotor program, but the fixed-wing program cuts off Oct. 1."

As for Girls in Aviation Day, Rector said there will be plenty to do for everyone, even if they don't plan on flying.

"One of my other pilots that fly for us part-time, she is flying in a Lakota from the National Guard," Rector said. "So she's coming in, and we're going to probably fly in and park next to her ... We have three female students currently, so we're going to take them with us, but it's for girls and guys, but it's just to introduce girls to get them into STEM and get them interested in aviation, and show them helicopters and fixed wing and simulators. It's a lot of fun. There's activities and stuff. So bring your kids, bring the [family].

For more information on Semper Fly Helicopters, click here. To register for Girls in Aviation Day at Wiley Post Airport, click here.