A GROUND-BREAKING event designed to inspire girls to explore careers in aviation and aerospace was held at Spaceport Cornwall.

More than 1,000 people attended the Reach for the Sky Festival, which was organised by TECgirls.

The festival provided hands-on experiences to more than 500 girls, encouraging them to imagine bold futures in industries where women remain underrepresented.

Attendees explored more than 20 interactive exhibits across three buildings, including rocket launches, flight simulators, drone demos, AI coding, LEGO robotics, and a giant travelling museum by Discovering 42.

They had the opportunity to sit in real aircraft cockpits, speak to female pilots and engineers, and meet role models from across the aviation and aerospace sectors.

The event was delivered with the support of a large range of committed organisations including Kids Invent Stuff, Leonardo Helicopters, Serco, DEFRA, Slingshot Aerospace, Isles of Scilly Travel, Discovering 42, Cognition Learning, Cornwall Council, Falmouth Games Academy, Cornwall College, Truro and Penwith College, Newquay Flying School, Spaceport Cornwall, and Cornwall Airport Newquay.

Over 100 volunteers RAF Cadets, Girl Guides, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Kernow Soroptimists, and Newquay Waterpolo from contributed to the success of the event.

Women make up less than six per cent of UK pilots and fewer than 10 per cent of aviation engineers. The Reach for the Sky initiative aims to close this gap by sparking early interest and offering strong role models.

A student, who attended the event, said: “It was a day of fun, laughter and so many smiles.

“It was a day of meeting so many wonderful people who all spoke so passionately about their role, the technology they were using, the planes they were flying, and it was heartwarming.

“It's great for girls to feel that there is something aimed directly at them and that they are just as capable as anyone else of excelling in technical careers. The content of the event was very inspiring both for girls and parents. We are looking forward to the next one.”