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Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, was the first president of the Ninety-Nines. U.S. Library of Congress Photo
A legendary international organization of women pilots is heading to Ottawa this summer for its annual conference.
The Ninety-Nines Inc., founded in 1929 by 99 women pilots—including aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart as its first president—is hosting its annual conference July 5 to 10 at the Delta Ottawa City Centre hotel.
The conference will feature award presentations, a tradeshow, seminars on topics of interest to members and guests, and the opportunity to visit a vibrant city with scheduled tours.
“We have secured the deputy mayor of Ottawa, Mark Taylor, to speak at the welcome reception; and Chris Kitzan, director general of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, will speak at the Ninety-Nines awards dinner,” said Joy Parker Blackwood, conference director.
Eileen Vollick was just 20 years old when she became the first Canadian woman to receive a private pilot’s licence on March 13, 1928. Canada Aviation and Space Museum Photo
This will be the fifth time the conference has been held in Canada.
“The vast majority of members are from the United States and love coming to Canada—it’s foreign, but close. [It’s] a destination where members can fly privately. [It’s] hard to do that with a small plane to New Zealand,” added Parker Blackwood.
“For the first time at a Ninety-Nines conference, [there will be] representatives from external aviation-related corporations such as Porter Airlines, Jazz Aviation, CAE, and Seneca College to sponsor dinner tables.”
The deadline to register is May 31, 2016. To see the full conference schedule, visit www.99sottawa2016.com/schedule.php.
Based at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Okla., The Ninety-Nines is a non-profit, charitable corporation that includes licensed female pilots from 35 countries, many of whom are professional pilots for airlines, industry and government. The organization consists of professional female pilots who enjoy promoting aviation careers to other women.
The group also promotes the advancement of aviation through education, scholarships and mutual support, while honouring its unique history and sharing its members’ passion for flight.
The Ninety-Nines Annual International Conference began in 1930, and is held each year in cities across North America. Next year the conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, and then Philadelphia, Pa., in 2018.
