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

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

Key Takeaways:

Karen March served as a dedicated docent for 14 years at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, a volunteer role she embraced after retirement, driven by a lifelong passion for aviation sparked in her childhood.
As a docent, she guided thousands of visitors, answered diverse questions about the museum's extensive aircraft collection, and particularly enjoyed the bustling AirVenture week.
Her experience was highlighted by opportunities to meet aviation legends like Chuck Yeager and Burt Rutan, as well as her unique hobby of creating and wearing vintage aviation-themed clothing while volunteering.
The article showcases Karen as an exemplary docent whose deep love for aviation and enjoyment of connecting with people were central to her fulfilling volunteer work.

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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.