Girl Scout Aviation Badge
Empowering the Next Generation of Aviators — Girl Scouts Take Flight with Rob and CTBA
“It changes you, flying. The first time I felt the basket lurch aloft and watched the ground recede, something swelled inside me like the linseed-oiled cotton canopy overhead.”
Mary Hawley Myers was the first woman to pilot her own aircraft in 1880 and her story still resonates today. Are you ready to see how aviation can change you?
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It was an inspiring and educational morning in Central Texas as Rob and the Central Texas Balloon Association (CTBA) partnered with longtime crew members Tiffany, and her daughter, Ava Garcia, to support a local Girl Scout Cadette troop on their journey to earn the Cadette Aviation Badge. This experience gave the girls a firsthand look at the fascinating world of flight, combining ballooning adventure with meaningful STEM learning.
The day kicked off at sunrise, with the troop observing the full setup process of two hot air balloons preparing for commercial passenger flights. The girls watched as pilots and crew members checked weather conditions, laid out the massive envelopes, ignited the burners, and conducted preflight safety checks—covering much of the Preflight step of the badge, which encourages scouts to explore how hot air balloons fly and what it takes to become a balloon pilot.
Next came the highlight of the morning: a fully hands-on experience with a third balloon dedicated entirely to the troop’s learning. The Girl Scouts jumped into action, assisting with inflating the envelope, handling ropes and burners under close supervision, and helping stabilize the balloon. They each took a turn riding in a tethered balloon—a special type of controlled flight that meets Girl Scout safety guidelines and offers a thrilling yet secure glimpse of what it’s like to ascend into the sky.
This segment checked off elements of the Flight and Takeoff badge steps, giving the scouts insight into balance, weight distribution, and the physical mechanics of balloon flight—concepts that echo the badge’s emphasis on weight, balance, and aircraft capacity.
Once the balloons were safely packed up (with plenty of teamwork from the troop), the learning continued on the ground. Former Air Force pilot Brittany Oligney (Ridge) joined the event to teach the scouts about fixed-wing aircraft—how they fly, what makes them different from balloons, and the science behind lift, drag, thrust, and gravity. To help illustrate these forces, Brittany brought handheld gliders that the girls could launch across an open field. Through trial and error, the scouts experimented with flight paths and adjustments, gaining a hands-on understanding of how airflow and design impact a plane’s ability to fly.
This interactive activity was not only fun, but it solidified key physics concepts and helped fulfill badge requirements from the Preflight and Taxi steps. Brittany also shared stories from her time in service, helping fulfill part of the Taxi badge step, which asks scouts to explore the role of women in military aviation.
Throughout the morning, the girls learned aviation vocabulary, discussed the physics of flight, and saw the aviation world from multiple perspectives—both historical and hands-on. They even explored career paths in aviation, from mechanics to air traffic controllers to pilots, aligning perfectly with the badge’s goal: to help Girl Scouts better understand the diverse and dynamic world of aviation.
The event wrapped up with reflections on aviation pioneers like Mary Hawley Myers, the first woman to pilot her own aircraft in 1880, and Willa Brown, the first African American woman to earn a pilot and commercial license in the U.S. These stories brought the badge’s history to life and showed the scouts that the sky isn’t the limit—it’s just the beginning.
Rob and the CTBA crew were thrilled to be part of this unforgettable day. It wasn’t just about flying; it was about inspiring confidence, curiosity, and courage in the next generation of women in aviation.
September 25, 2022
