Air Force Captain Melanie Valentin, a T-38C instructor pilot, presented a morale patch to the Bob Hope USO at John Wayne Airport Tuesday, October 25th. The patch depicts a female aviator in a helmet and mask with the slogan, “Fly like a Girl”.
Valentin was inspired to create the patch to represent women in the Air Force. She reimagined the antiquated idiom “throw like a girl” and made it her own, turning the term into a slogan that encourages and inspires women in the Air Force.
Valentin is an Orange County native. She grew up in Huntington Beach and was encouraged by her family to pursue both art and aviation. Currently she uses her artistic skill set to create art work for her squadron.
The “Fly like a Girl” patch is on display at the John Wayne Airport USO, located in Thomas F. Riley Terminal B, on the Arrival (lower) Level next to Baggage Carousel 4. For more information about the USO at John Wayne Airport, www.ocair.com/travelers/services/bob-hope-uso/.
You can purchase the “Fly like a Girl” morale patch at bomberpatches.com. The patch has four different versions, representing the different ethnicities of White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian pilots.
JWA Direct 