For the 10th straight year, the opportunity for women who love aviation to build camaraderie and open doors to mentorship and participation once again comes to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017, as WomenVenture activities will take place during the week.
The 65th annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in convention will be held July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. WomenVenture is presented by The Boeing Company and supported by Glasair Aviation, Women in Aviation International, and The Ninety-Nines Inc.
Beginning in 2008, WomenVenture has offered the opportunity to bring together women aviators from throughout the flying community. The activities are designed to encourage participation by women in aviation, as less than six percent of all pilots in the U.S. are female.
“WomenVenture is a tremendous experience for women, particularly as it comes during the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration at Oshkosh,” said Kelly Nelson, a pilot and executive editor for EAA publications. “These activities can be a springboard to motivate other women to get involved in aviation, either for fun or as a future career, as we’ll present activities that motivate, inform, and inspire.”
The schedule includes:
- Monday, July 24, 5:30 p.m. – The inaugural WomenVenture social, presented by Endeavor Air. This kickoff to the 10th annual WomenVenture schedule invites all women to meet and connect in a fun atmosphere of an ice cream social. Preregistration online at EAA.org/WomenVenture is appreciated.
- Tuesday, July 25, 6 p.m. – Aviation Appreciation dinner at the EAA Nature Center, sponsored by The Ninety-Nines. Speaker is around-the-world pilot Adrian Eichhorn. Advance tickets required ($30 each), available at www.99soshkoshdinner.com.
- Wednesday, July 26, 7:30 a.m. – Women in Aviation International’s Connect Breakfast at the EAA Nature Center. Speakers are Vintage Aircraft Association president Susan Dusenbury and EAA Warbirds of America president Connie Bowlin. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 on-site, available at www.wai.org.
- Wednesday, July 26, 11 a.m. – Annual WomenVenture group photo on AirVenture’s showcase Boeing Plaza.
- Wednesday, July 26, 11:30 a.m. – The WomenVenture Power Lunch at Theater in the Woods. Tickets are $5 each and pre-registration for this lunch is required at EAA.org/WomenVenture. This year’s speaker is Dr. Janet Lapp, a flight instructor who is also a renowned teacher and author, and the creator of the Emmy-nominated CBS health series “Keep Well.”
As in past years, a limited-edition WomenVenture T-shirt is available to all women who participate (while supplies last). Those T-shirts can be obtained at the AirVenture Welcome Center on the AirVenture grounds beginning on Monday, July 24. Women are encouraged to wear the T-shirt for the July 24 group photos to show the collective strength of women in the flight community.
In addition, women are invited to the Welcome Center to sign the WomenVenture logbook any day during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017.
