Women Fly

Flight: Women Fly, March 5th, an all-day event encouraging girls' careers in aviation.

The Museum of Flight's annual special event for young women interested in aviation and aerospace careers. Girls are invited to participate in a day of motivational and career-oriented activities that will allow them to meet and learn from professional women working in a variety of flight-related careers. This year’s panelists includes women pilots from almost every continent. Their experiences include flights in the Australian outback, Alaskan wilderness, Antarctic slopes, African plains and the urban landscapes of Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States.

Invited panelists include:

Michelle Bassanesi (Italy) – Bassanesi is the founder of Aviation and Women in Europe. Bassanesi is a flight instructor with experience flying paragliders, hang gliders and airplanes.

Kajuju Laiboni (Kenya) - Co -founder of Women Aviators in Africa

Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa) – A co-founder of Women Aviators in Africa, in 2006 Ledwaba became the first black woman helicopter pilot for the South African Police Service Air Wing.

Harumi Sato (Japan) – Sato is a flight instructor and has flown as a commercial pilot in the United States and as an airline pilot in Japan.

Fran West (Australia) – West is the first woman pilot to circumnavigate mainland Australia in a light aircraft. She is also an author, photographer and motivational speaker.

Jennie Steldt (United States) – Capt. Steldt is a United States Air Force pilot who flew the first C-17 Globemaster airdrop on Antarctica.

Karina Miranda (Chile) - Lt. Miranda is the first woman to fly for the Chilean Air Force.