FEMALE AVIATORS GATHERING JULY 22 FOR WOMENVENTURE AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2015

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (March 5, 2015) — The annual WomenVenture gathering, designed to encourage and inspire women in aviation and those who want to fly, will welcome hundreds of female aviators on Wednesday, July 22, during the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in convention.

The 63rd annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention will be held July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.

Co-sponsored by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Sensor Systems, The Ninety-Nines, and Women in Aviation, International, WomenVenture is a tremendous experience for women who are pilots, want to become pilots, or work in the aviation or aerospace industries.

“WomenVenture is a tremendous experience for women, particularly as it comes during the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration at Oshkosh,” said Kelly Nelson of Women in Aviation, International, one of the event’s organizing groups. “It builds camaraderie and allows us to use our collective voice to inspire and motivate women of all ages to get engaged in aviation, either for fun and/or as part of their career aspirations. WomenVenture helps open doors to participation, mentorship, knowledge and support.”

The July 22 schedule includes:

• 8 a.m. – Women in Aviation, International breakfast with keynote speaker Jessica Cox, who was born without arms but was motivated to earn a sport pilot certificate in a Ercoupe that she could fly with her feet. Pre-registration is required.
• 11 a.m. – Annual WomenVenture group photo on AirVenture’s showcase Boeing Plaza.
• 11:30 a.m. – “WomenVenture Power Lunch” at Theater in the Woods at 11:30. Pre-registration for the lunch is required. Speaker is Cindy Hasselbring, the leader/coordinator of STEM education initiatives for the State of Maryland, who is also a pilot and for 10 years has pursued a dream of traveling in space through NASA’s astronaut candidate program.

As in past years, a limited-edition WomenVenture T-shirt will be available to all women who participate (while supplies last). Those T-shirts can be picked up at the EAA Welcome Center on the AirVenture grounds beginning on Monday, July 20. Women are encouraged to wear the T-shirt for the group photo on July 22 to show the collective strength of women involved in the flight community.

In addition, women are invited to the Welcome Center to sign the WomenVenture logbook any day during EAA AirVenture 2015.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.airventure.org. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.