The history of Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day began in 2017 when the Aeronautics Commission presented a bill to the Oklahoma legislature, which was enacted into law, to officially recognize the contribution of Oklahoma women in the State’s aviation and aerospace industry, on December 9th, annually. This year will be a special salute to military aviation held on Friday, December 8th at the 137th Special Operations Wing where over 1000+ people are expected to attend.
The forum, reserved for Aviation and Aerospace enthusiasts and personnel, will provide an amazing opportunity to learn more about Aviation and Aerospace to encourage Oklahomans to dream big and find their passion in our exciting industry.
The date marks the birth of the famous Chickasaw aviator, Pearl Carter Scott, of Marlow, Oklahoma. Scott learned to fly at the age of 13 under legendary aviator Wiley Post. She became the youngest pilot in the United States with her first solo flight on September 12, 1929, the same year that Amelia Earhart established the female pilot group, the Ninety-Nines, which established their international headquarters in Oklahoma City at Will Rogers World Airport.
Today, women are leading this charge developing strategies and formulating plans that will propel us through our current challenges and position our nation – and the world – for a future of opportunities beyond earth’s boundaries. Today women are represented in all sectors of our industry – from commercial airports to military installations to the growing space sector. Women are turning wrenches, engineering avionics, piloting rockets, and some are leading us into this century’s most consequential transportation development – commercial space flight.
In honor of the significant impact women have made to aviation in our State and to our industry, the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics in community partnership with the 137th Special Operations Wing, the Oklahoma National Guard, Will Rogers World Airport, the Oklahoma Air and Space Forces Association, the Oklahoma Defense Industry Association and United Dynamics Aerospace and Defense will commemorate the state’s seventh annual Oklahoma Women in Aviation & Aerospace Day with an in-person luncheon at the 137th Special Operations Wing Oklahoma National Guard base.
Attendees will enjoy a keynote address from Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney. Most widely recognized for her service on September 11, Penney was part of the pioneering first wave of women who entered fighters directly from pilot training. Lucky was the first and only woman in the 121st Fighter Squadron during her time flying the F-16, conducting combat air patrols over Washington DC and deploying to combat twice. Penney is a defense policy expert at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Arlington, Virginia.
Organizers and industry leaders will welcome honored guest Col. Eileen Collins, the Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Day Woman of the Year, a former military instructor and test pilot and the first female pilot and first female commander of a space shuttle. Collins is the author of the book released in 2021: Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission.
