Women in Aviation: Meet Karen the Docent

Karen March turned her love of aviation into quite an experience at the EAA Aviation Museum.

Ellen Voie

Friday, November 26, 2021 at 03:03 AM ET

Verified

One of Karen’s hobbies is to recreate vintage clothing from the early years of aviation. Contributed photo

Key Takeaways:

Karen March dedicated 14 years as a docent at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, a role fueled by a lifelong passion for aviation sparked in her childhood.
Her responsibilities involved guiding thousands of visitors, answering diverse questions about nearly 200 airplanes, and managing the intense demands of the annual AirVenture week.
Through her docent work, March had unique opportunities to meet numerous aviation legends like Chuck Yeager and Burt Rutan, as well as POWs and other significant figures.
Beyond her volunteer duties, March expressed her deep love for aviation by recreating and wearing vintage aviation-themed clothing, especially during AirVenture week.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Karen March has been a volunteer—also called a docent—who responds to questions and acts as a guide at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

As a child, Karen gained an interest in aviation from overhearing her grandfather talk about a pilot who was shot down during the Cold War. She was captivated by the story of Francis Gary Powers, Sr., who flew a U-2 in espionage missions over the-then Soviet Union to photograph military installations and other sites. He was shot down in 1960 and captured by the Soviets.