The Ninety-Nines come to Ashland
The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots from 35 countries, will host their Northwest-Southwest joint section meeting in Ashland, beginning September 21.
Martha Philips, Governor of the Southwest Section, said that 135 delegates are expected from the Southwest and 50 from the Northwest. Many will fly their own planes — single-engine Cessnas, Pipers, Beechcraft, Mooneys, and a few twin-engine planes — into Ashland's airport and then shuttle to the Ashland Springs Hotel which will be their conference base. For the next four days they will have speakers, seminars, opportunities to tour Jacksonville and attend various plays at OSF as well as taking the popular backstage tour. The joint section meeting will conclude with a gala buffet dinner held at the Armory.
The 6,500-member organization is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the Will Rogers World Airport complex, along with the Museum of Women Pilots. The Ninety-Nines came into being November 2, 1929, at Curtis Field, Valley Stream, Long Island, N.Y. At the time there were 117 female pilots in America; all had been invited to assemble to offer mutual support and advancement of aviation. Ninety-nine women became charter members of what was, for a time, a loosely formed group. In 1931, Amelia Earhart was elected first president and the organization was named for the orginal number of members: the first Ninety-Nine.
Pat Prentis, International President of the organization, when asked about why she learned to fly, said, "We all ponder why we began to fly. Sometimes there is no clear answer ... I discovered profound meaning and inspiration from a comment by Amelia Earhart in her book 'Last Flight.' When asked why she was attempting this around-the-world-flight, Amelia wrote, 'Because I want to. That was as near a complete reply as I could devise. Here was shining adventure, beckoning with new experiences, added knowledge of flying, of peoples — of myself. Then, too, was the belief that now and then women should do for themselves what men have already done ... thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.'"
Philips said that if Ashland residents "see women walking around town with shirts that have a compass rose, wings and various aircraft on them, it's just the 99's who've come to town." For further information on the Ninety-Nines, check their Web site: www.ninety-nines.org/99s.html/
