Exhibit hall at the 2026 WAI Conference in Grapevine, Texas [Credit: Francecsa Baldi]
Key Takeaways:
The author found her passion for aviation during her youth, leading her to pursue a pilot's certificate and enroll in Western Michigan University's aviation program.
Her first attendance at the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference was a "life-changing experience" that affirmed her chosen career path and provided significant industry exposure.
At the conference, she received invaluable mentorship and encouragement from experienced female pilots and industry professionals, helping her overcome initial feelings of inferiority and gain confidence in her aviation journey.
Growing up I was not quite sure what I wanted to be.
I threw out ideas occasionally, but nothing made me excited. Not until I was at the beach with my friends and saw a little airplane fly over. I had seen planes fly over the beach hundreds of times as I lived in Maine as a small child and then moved to New Hampshire when I was 8.
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Francesca Baldi is a sophomore student at Western Michigan University studying aviation flight science. From New Hampshire, she lived in Maine but was actually born in Michigan. She enjoys music, including DJing a radio show for WIDR-FM, reading, spending time with friends, and flying.
![Francecsa Baldi, a student pilot who attends Western Michigan University [Credit: Francecsa Baldi]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMG_8671-1-scaled-e1775059979731.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
![Exhibit hall at the 2026 WAI Conference in Grapevine, Texas [Credit: Francecsa Baldi]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMG_8494-scaled.jpg)
![Francecsa Baldi, a student pilot who attends Western Michigan University [Credit: Francecsa Baldi]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMG_8671-1-scaled-e1775059979731.jpg?w=293)
