The Ninety-Nines: Celebrating 96 Years of Women in Aviation

In 1929 a group of 20 women pilots took off from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, destined for Cleveland as contestants in the first Women’s National Air Derby, dubbed the “Powder Puff Derby” by humorist Will Rogers.

During the nine-day, cross-country race, one of the common themes was that people along the route were surprised and inspired by the women flying airplanes. At the conclusion of the race, several of the women met informally in Ohio to discuss forming an organization to support, encourage, and inspire women to enter the field of aviation—the organization we now know as The Ninety-Nines.

On Sunday, the 501(c)(3) organization, which has grown worldwide, celebrated its 96th anniversary.

The Name

The group’s moniker came from the number of women who held pilot certificates in 1929 and expressed an interest in becoming a charter member.

According to records, in 1929 there were approximately 117 women in the United States with pilot certificates. Founders of The 99s reached out to the women with letters and postcards asking them if they would like to join. It was agreed that the name of the group would reflect how many women wanted to join as charter members by Christmas of 1929—and The Ninety-Nines it was.

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Amelia Earhart was elected as the first president of the organization.

When a woman earned her private pilot certificate, she was invited to join. A few years ago the organization started allowing student pilots to become members as long as they hold a student pilot certificate, are actively logging hours, and have the confirmation of their student pilot status from their instructor.

“[We have] just under 8,000 members,” said Jill van Egmond, who has served as executive director of The Ninety-Nines since May. “We aim to hit the 10,000 mark by the 100th year.”

As a rule, active members are gregarious and very quick to share their experiences with nonmembers and encourage them to join.

The international headquarters is located at Will Rogers International Airport (KOKC) in Oklahoma City. The facility is the repository for archival records, personal artifacts from women pilots, video oral histories, memorabilia, and biographical information about women pilots from all over the world.

The airport is also the home of The 99s Museum of Women Pilots.

According to van Egmond, the organization now has 155 chapters around the world, including “wing chapters at college campuses to encourage younger women to join for networking and mentoring.”

Many women join the organization to network and share stories with someone who has been through the training and understands the experience. It’s very gratifying to learn you’re not the only one who is being vexed by (insert one of the many challenges student pilots face here), and it gives you hope that you can overcome the obstacle too.

Scholarship Program

The Ninety-Nines also offer a robust scholarship program that makes funds available to qualified women pilots seeking certification but often past traditional school age.

Outreach and Airmarking

The most visible contributions of The Ninety-Nines are tied to outreach programs with the Girl Scouts and school groups and the painting of the name of an airport on its field and a compass rose on the ramp or taxiway.

The task known as “airmarking” goes back to the early days of the organization when pilots navigated by pilotage and dead reckoning.