6th Annual Oklahoma Women in Aviation & Aerospace Day

A century ago, the State’s earliest true municipal airport appeared in 1920 on land leased to Oklahoma City. Only a year earlier, Tulsa’s first private airport was founded by former military barnstormer and New Zealand native Duncan McIntyre. Oklahoma is considered an aerospace and aviation powerhouse, with 108 public-use airports supporting a $44B annual economic impact generated by 1,100 aviation and aerospace companies. While aircraft design remains center stage for the majority of our transportation needs, today’s leaders are focusing on spacecraft and unmanned aerial systems to meet future transportation needs of both people and cargo. Women are leading this charge developing strategies and formulating plans that will propel us through our current challenges and position our nation – and the world – for a future of opportunities beyond earth’s boundaries. Today women are represented in all sectors of our industry – from commercial airports to military installations to the growing space sector. Women are turning wrenches, engineering avionics, piloting rockets, and some are leading us into this century’s most consequential transportation development – commercial space flight.

In honor of the significant impact women have made to aviation in our State and to our industry, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission in community partnership with Tulsa International Airport, the Oklahoma Air and Space Forces Association, and Spirit AeroSystems will commemorate the state’s sixth annual Oklahoma Women in Aviation & Aerospace Day with an in-person luncheon at Tulsa Tech – Riverside Campus. They will welcome honored guest and keynote speaker Sam Marnick, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Spirit AeroSystems.

The forum, reserved for Aviation and Aerospace enthusiasts and personnel, will provide an amazing opportunity to learn more about Aviation and Aerospace to encourage Oklahomans to dream big and find their passion in our exciting industry.

The history of Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day began in 2017 when the Aeronautics Commission presented a bill to the Oklahoma legislature, and it was enacted into law, to officially recognize the contribution of Oklahoma women in the State’s aviation and aerospace industry, on December 9th, annually.

The date marks the birth of the famous Chickasaw aviator, Pearl Carter Scott, of Marlow, Oklahoma. Scott learned to fly at the age of 13 under legendary aviator Wiley Post. She became the youngest pilot in the United States with her first solo flight on September 12, 1929, the same year that Amelia Earhart established the female pilot group, the Ninety-Nines.