Museum PR Announcements News and Information

Women’s History Month Takes Off with a Week of Events

“Women Fly!” programs include flights, flyers and space explorers

SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2013–Beginning on Tuesday, March 5, the Museum celebrates Women’s History Month with seven days of women in aerospace programs featuring special guest presentations, fly-ins, career fairs and airplane rides. The programs will allow Museum visitors to meet and learn about women engaged in all types of aviation and space professions, from being a flight attendant, pilot, astronaut or even Mars spacecraft driver. Weekend programs include free “first flight” airplane rides for girls.

Tuesday, March 5
Lecture
“Adventures Across the Atlantic”
Noon
Bridget Cooley & Helen Cernik tell about their flight from Seattle to Edinburgh, Scotland in a single-engine airplane.

Wednesday, March 6
Lecture and tour
Noon
History of the World War II’s Women Air Force Service Pilot Program
A personal tour of the Museum’s Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) exhibit with WASP historian Deb Jennings.

Thursday, March 7
Helicopter Fly-In
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fly-in and display of Army CH-47 helicopters, with opportunities to meet the women crew members throughout the day. The fly-in is weather- and mission-dependent.

Aerospace Community Resource Fair
5 to 9 p.m.
Visitors can meet representatives from local schools, aviation groups, and military recruiters. Free admission to the Museum sponsored by Wells Fargo.

Friday, March 8
Women Fly! Aerospace Career Event for Girls
8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This unique program is open to young women ages 13-17 to participate in a day of motivational and career-oriented activities allowing them to meet and learn from professional women working in a variety of flight-related careers. Volunteering their time are dozens of women aerospace professionals including airport operators, pilots, air traffic controllers and engineers in all disciplines. Special guest mentors are Boeing flight test engineer Kavya Manyapu, and Dr. Ashley Stroupe, robotics engineer and NASA Mars Rover driver who is known as “the first woman to drive on Mars.” Pre-registration is required to attend, and attendance is limited.

For information and registration: www.museumofflight.org/programs/women-fly-2013

Helicopter Fly-In
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fly-in and display of Army CH-47 helicopters, with opportunities to meet the women crew members throughout the day. The fly-in is weather- and mission-dependent.

Saturday, March 9
Fly it Forward Challenge 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fly it Forward 2013 provides introductory, 20-minute airplane rides to girls and women to promote interest aviation and space professions. Rides are limited to those who have never flown, or who have only flown in airliners. The event has been recognized by the international Women of Aviation Worldwide Week organization. Flights will originate at the Museum tarmac; registration is through the Women of Aviation World Wide Week Website – Fly It Forward Challenge 2013. The flights are weather-dependent.

Bessie Coleman Story
11 a.m.
Lecture
Beverly Armstrong presents the story of Bessie Coleman, America’s first female African American pilot.

From Earth Orbit to Mars with Women Who Work There –
A panel discussion with Ashley Stroupe and Kavya Manyapu
2 p.m.
Ashley Stroupe
Dr. Stroupe has been a Staff Engineer at NASA JPL since 2003. She works in-flight operations for the Mars Exploration Rovers, and also working on Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity. She recently appeared on “Five Years on Mars” on the National Geographic Channel. Stroupe is known as “the first woman to drive on Mars.”
Kavya Manyapu
Kavya Manyapu is presently working as a flight test engineer for Boeing Commercial Spacecraft, and has worked on space projects including the Orion-Constellation spacecraft, the International Space Station and Delta IV rocket. In 2010, she was selected to be a crew member for an analog Mars Mission organized by Mars Society.

Sunday, March 10
Flight Attendant Day –
Free admission all day to all past and present flight attendants!

Fly it Forward Challenge 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fly it Forward 2013 provides introductory, 20-minute airplane rides to girls and women to promote interest aviation and space professions. Rides are limited to those who have never flown, or who have only flown in airliners. The event has been recognized by the international Women of Aviation Worldwide Week organization. Flights will originate at the Museum tarmac; registration is through the Women of Aviation World Wide Week Website – Fly It Forward Challenge 2013. The flights are weather-dependent.

2 p.m.
Flight Attendant Panel
A panel of former and present flight attendants tell-all. The Museum’s Flight Attendant Day panels are well known for their highly entertaining and moving stories by the people who have been taking care of airline passengers for many years.

3:30 p.m.
“Flights of Fancy”
Concert
A choral concert by the Cascadian Chorale, a Bellevue-based, mixed-voice chamber choir dedicated to the performance and promotion of fine choral music. The Chorale’s membership comprises thirty-five of the greater Seattle area’s most skilled choral singers.

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