Women in Aviation and Space History

National Air and Space Museum visitors frequently ask, "Where are the women pilots?" The answer is that they are in nearly every gallery of the Museum. 

Although women have flown since 1908, nearly all of them were restricted to general aviation, i.e. private planes, or support jobs, (prior to the 1970s) and our exhibits reflect those historical roles. However, women have now gained full access to military and commercial cockpits, as well as the Space Shuttle and aerospace technology, and as we update old and create new exhibits, we will review and include the growing contributions of women throughout the Museum. 

The online exhibit was created in the early 2000s to document women in the galleries. The women represented in the National Mall Building and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center are not limited to this list.