About the South Central Section
The South Central Section of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots is made up of Chapters in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and the virtual Ambassador Chapter.
Origin of the Ninety-Nines
Photo from the 1976 Powder Puff Derby.
On November 2, 1929, 26 licensed women pilots gathered in a hangar at Curtiss Field, Valley Steam, Long Island, New Your and founded the 99 Club.
Clara Trenckman Studer, non-pilot, was primarily responsible for this gathering, maintaining that women flyers should form an organization. Of the 117 licensed women pilots in America contacted, only 99 responded their interest in the idea. After much discussion, both serious and frivolous, as to the name of this newly organized group of women flyers, Amelia Earhart suggested that the Club be named after the number of charter members.
Membership was immediately opened to other women as they became licensed pilots. In recent years membership has been opened to include women with student pilot certificates.
The organization has been active ever since its inception in 1929. It has spread overseas to become the only international organization of women pilots.
1930: The South Central Section is Formed
At the first annual national meeting held on August 22, 1930, at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, a committee recommended that the parent Ninety-Nines organization create sections that sub-divided the United States.
The recommendation was adopted, and the South Central Section came into being. It included the following states: Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas and Louisiana. It has since expanded to have an Ambassador chapter, added in 1998, which is a virtual chapter for members who are not able to participate in other sections due to distance or work commitments.
Our section organizes the local section chapters, providing guidelines on policy and resources to maintain chapter health. We organize bi-annual section meetings to enable woman pilots from all over the South Central Section to meet and learn from each other.
Members of Note
The South Central Section has included many remarkable women over the years.
You may recognize names such as—
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Phoebe Omlie
Phoebe was the first governor of the South Central Section. She was also the first woman to receive an airplane mechanic’s license, the first licensed female transport pilot, and the first woman to be appointed to a federal position in the aviation field.
Phoebe worked with Amelia Earhart to establish what would become the National Airspace System. She also worked to establish flight schools in WWII, including the one that would train the Tuskegee Airmen.
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Wally Funk
Wally Funk was a member of the Mercury 13, a testing program for potential female astronauts in the early 1960’s.
Along with 25 other women, she was selected to take part in a series of trials to determine whether women could measure up to the same rigorous mental and physical test that the famous first corps of male astronauts had experienced. Wally scored higher than John Glenn on at least two of the tests.
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Lu Curtis Hollander
Lu has served in many capacities with the Ninety-Nines since she joined in 1978. She has chaired the Oklahoma Chapter’s Okie Derby Proficiency Air Race three times. She has also judged at National Intercollegiate Flying Association events and United States Proficiency Flight Competitions.
Lu received Amelia Earhart medals for her work with the 99s’ history book and magazine. In 1992, she was named Oklahoma Aviator of the Year by Oklahoma Aviator newspaper.
Interested in Joining?
All women pilots are welcome! Visit the international organization site to learn how to become a Ninety-Nine .