Ninety-Nines

The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as 99s, is an international organization for female pilots that provides professional opportunities to women in aviation. The organization was founded on November 2, 1929, at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream, New York, for the mutual support and advancement of women pilots. All 117 women pilots licensed at the time were invited, and the group is named for the 99 of them who attended the meeting or expressed an interest in forming a group.

Charter members include:

Other notable members include:

Charter member Margaret Thomas "Tommy" Warren believes she might have been the youngest charter member of the 99's — only 17 when she joined. She was not present at the first gathering of women aviators on Long Island in October 1929, but did go to New York with Frances Harrell for the second meeting on December 14 at the home of Opal Kunz and was appointed to represent Texas.

Currently, the organization has 5,230 members in thirty countries. The mission of the Ninety-Nines is to promote world fellowship through flight, to provide networking and scholarship opportunities for women and aviation education in the community, and to preserve the unique history of women in aviation. The Ninety-Nines, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The organization is divided into "sections" that are part of geographical areas covering several states in the U.S., provinces in Canada, and even countries. Chapters are the smallest grouping, falling under their geographical "sections".

The Ninety-Nines Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund (AEMSF) program assists in funding flight training for both recreational and career track female pilots by awarding a scholarship for an entire pilot certificate or rating to qualified members. The AEMSF "new Pilot Award" helps a woman aviator finish her Private Pilot training. In addition to the AEMSF program, many individual chapters of the Ninety-Nines give their own flight scholarships to benefit local woman aviators. Aspiring professional pilots can find career guidance and mentors in the Ninety-Nines "Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative" program.

The Ninety-Nines are owners and custodians of the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas. The birthplace and early childhood home of early aviator Amelia Earhart was declared a National Historic Site and has been returned to its turn-of-the-century condition by the "99s" and features an abundance of personal and family memorabilia.

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