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

Pioneering pilots formed the organization to inspire and support future generations.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, November 03, 2025 at 03:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Founding members of The Ninety-Nines: Amelia Earhart (from left), Ruth Elder, and Louise Thaden. [Courtesy: The Ninety-Nines]

Key Takeaways:

The Ninety-Nines was founded in 1929 by women pilots of the first Women's National Air Derby (the "Powder Puff Derby") to support and inspire women in aviation, with Amelia Earhart as its first president.
Named after the 99 women who initially joined, the organization has grown into a worldwide group with nearly 8,000 members, welcoming both certified and actively logging student pilots.
The Ninety-Nines offers robust scholarship, networking, and mentoring programs, conducts outreach, and contributes to aviation safety through "airmarking" at airports.

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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.