AirVenture Commemorates 30 Years of Women Flying Combat Aircraft During EAA WomenVenture on July 26

Celebrating women advancing in aviation, including 30 years of flying active-duty combat aircraft, will be part of EAA WomenVenture on July 26 during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The 70th edition of EAA’s fly-in convention is July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

EAA WomenVenture has become an annual gathering point for women involved in aviation, from the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II to teenagers involved in EAA’s GirlVenture day camp that week. The programs are designed to encourage and inspire women who want to pursue their dreams of flight.

“What we’ve seen over the 15-plus years of EAA WomenVenture is that it has become an unforgettable annual reunion of all women engaged in aviation,” said Margaret Viola, an EAA-member pilot who is the volunteer chair of the event. “We are inspired by those who came before us and, in turn, are enthused to share the world of flight with others who want to become part of it. It’s a celebration that happens in a unique way at Oshkosh.”

Events will be held all week, with an emphasis on July 26 activities, including commemoration of 30 years of women flying combat missions in the U.S. military. Programs during the week include:

• All week: EAA WomenVenture Center, located at Aviation Gateway Park, features exhibitors and events that support women in aviation.
• Monday, July 24: Ice Cream Social, sponsored by Endeavor Air (SOLD OUT)
• Wednesday, July 26:
• Annual WomenVenture group photo, 11 a.m., Boeing Plaza
• Power Lunch, Theater in the Woods (SOLD OUT), with keynote speaker Michelle “Mace” Curran, author and former U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot, presenting Upside Down Dreams.
• Evening program, Theater in the Woods, 6:30 p.m., with pioneering women military pilots Jeannie Leavitt, Sharon Preszler, and Martha McSally, plus more women pilots who have served in the U.S. armed forces.
• Thursday, July 27: Female aviation authors featured all day at EAA WomenVenture Center.
• July 26-29: Evening activities hosted by exhibitors on WomenVenture Center patio.

More information is available at EAA.org/WomenVenture, including how to register for this year’s free commemorative WomenVenture T-shirt, designed by EAA member Leticia Williamson.

EAA WomenVenture is present by The Boeing Company, with additional support from Endeavor Air, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, The Ninety-Nines, Piedmont Airlines, United Airlines, University of North Dakota Aerospace, U.S. Air Force, and Women in Aviation International.