New aviation badge to help Brownies get their wings

A new aviation badge for Brownies has been unveiled as part of a campaign to encourage more girls to become pilots.

To earn the award, Brownies must carry out aeronautical experiments using different materials and launch techniques and name 40 things that fly.

Tens of thousands of Brownies – girls aged seven to ten – are expected to take part in the activities in the first year of the new badge.

It has been introduced in partnership with easyjet, which wants 20 per cent of its new entrant pilots to be female by 2020.

Women make up around 3 per cent of commercial airline pilots worldwide.

Easyjet captain Marnie Munns, the lead pilot for the airline’s Amy Johnson Flying Initiative, said: “We have always believed in the importance of female role models to encourage girls to see a pilot career as a real option available to them, which is why we are really excited to be unveiling the new aviation badge for Brownies as part of our partnership with Girlguiding.

“Together we will engage with even more young people to inspire and educate them about aviation and becoming a pilot.”

A survey of 556 pilots commissioned by easyjet found that the desire to become a pilot typically happens much later for girls than it does for boys.