There’s a love in Fly Like a Girl that’s infectious, as its talking heads discuss how they got into aviation. Vernice Armour, America’s first Black female combat pilot, wasn’t an easy convert, telling herself that ‘Black people don’t fly’ which she eventually fact checks by mentioning Black female pilots like Bessie Coleman. She eventually sees another Black female pilot recruiting her, and she talks about that person vividly, transporting audiences to that moment she knew. Armour is one of the many interview subjects here who has her own expertise in aviation. Another is Abigail Harrison, who transitioned from reading about science fiction to becoming science fact. Girl‘s cameras take us to her training sessions where she’s high enough to defy gravity, and there’s a joy in her face while reaching such altitudes.

Some interview scenes are better than others though, and it’s as if each subject has their better and worse scenes. I previously discussed Armour, who is good at differentiating each plane she flies or each trainer she works with. She doesn’t have the same gift in talking about her war stories. And that’s the thing too. The documentary packages itself for female empowerment, and these women save lives as part of their work. But should that come at the expense of other people’s lives? The camerawork during these scenes can also be better. Sometimes the camera shoots its subjects directly or within the 45 degree angle. But at other times, the camera is farther from its subjects and are shooting them from the sides. Some of these shots distract from the subjects and their stories.

That said, these interviews are still enlightening. One of the subjects here is Patty Wagstaff, a U.S. national aerobatic champion. She hasn’t competed in twenty years, instead focusing on teaching aviation to both men and women in Kenya. The documentary also shows her photos up in the air, teaching a new generation how to fly. And the more women it shows on screen, the more possibilities it shows. A career in aviation doesn’t limit itself during wartime. There are also jobs for space travel and air shows and competitions and commercial flights when it’s safe to fly again. Most people know of Amelia Earhart, but there are a few more women here that the doc introduces. More women for girls to look up to, showing that women can lead each other and be their own heroes.

Order Fly Like a Girl on iTunes.