SAFA Skysailor Magazine

16 SKY SAILOR November | December 2021 The Women beneath our Wings Interview with Kaz Waller & Nat Huber The grant is the most significant investment in sports aviation history for female sports aviation in Australia, making this a significant milestone for the group. Two of the group’s members, Kaz Waller and Nat Huber, are behind this incredible achieve- ment and the alliance that has been formed between Women with Wings and the NSW Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. Can you explain to me in your own words what Women with Wings is all about? Women with Wings Australia is a supportive network of female pilots across different flying disciplines that provides an avenue for pilots to connect with each other, share experiences, fly together and support each other on their journeys of free flight. The WhatsApp group ‘Women with Wings Australia’ was formed in November 2020, originally as a way to connect with and support local female pilots at the Stanwell and Sydney areas. With only 5% of pilots in NSW being female, it has often been challenging to inter- act and fly with other female pilots. Retention rates for female pilots in sports aviation are also low – so this was something we wanted to change! The Women with Wings (WWW) group quickly grew from a small local support network into a thriving community of female pilots across Australia (NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, ACT, SA and WA), and also includes a few pilots in New Zealand and abroad. We now have 107 members and the group continues to grow. What is your role with the organisation? We are the lead group administrators and manage many of the group initiatives, however WWW is a community of pilots that welcomes The Women with Wings group has been creating opportunities for female pilots in the last 12 months and now a nearly $50,000 grant from the NSW government will help to inspire women to participate in sports aviation even further.