Our passion at The Sporty's Foundation is to encourage more people to join the aviation community, so our partnership with Natalie Kelley of flyGIRL is a perfect fit. Natalie fell in love with aviation when she flew aerobatics with her uncle, but it wasn't until later in life that she earned her pilot certificate. She says the experience of pushing her own boundaries, challenging herself, and succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry completely changed her life. She gained confidence and a sense of independence that she had forgotten in adulthood.
Since earning her license, Natalie has flown her Piper Archer all over the country, meeting new friends and visiting unique places along the way. But she wanted more women to experience this freedom, so she founded flyGIRL. The mission of her organization is to encourage and inspire women and young girls to open their hearts and minds to their potential and to help their dreams take flight. She self-funded the first $5,000 flyGIRL Scholarship to send another woman to pilot training, and is expanding her scholarship program this year to help even more women take to the skies.
Sporty's and The Sporty's Foundation have partnered with flyGIRL to help grow this unique scholarship program. In addition to donations, one way Natalie funds new scholarships is through sales of her flyGIRL line of apparel. From t-shirts to hats to tote bags, each flyGIRL product tells the world that you love to fly. Plus, a portion of every flyGIRL sale goes to support the group’s scholarship fund.
You can learn more about Natalie's story and the mission of flyGIRL in this video:
Learn more:
- Shop flyGIRL products
- Learn more about flyGIRL scholarships
- Learn more about The Sporty's Foundation
- Donate to The Sporty's Foundation
- Read The Sporty's Foundation 2018 annual report
