An evening with the Air Force's first female fighter pilot

A woman in her mid-20s, wearing a pilot jumpsuit, stands in front of a military aircraft.
Leavitt (neé Flynn) in 1992

Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt entered the U.S. Air Force in 1992, earning her commission as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program.

Leavitt was initially denied her request to fly the F-15E Strike Eagle based on DoD policy. The policy changed in April 1993, and she became the Air Force’s first female fighter pilot. She went on to become the first female fighter pilot to attend US Air Force Weapons School, returning as an instructor in 2001.

Leavitt took command of the 4th Fighter Wing in 2012, becoming the first woman to lead an Air Force combat fighter wing. She is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours, including more than 300 hours in combat. In 2019, she assisted the Marvel production team with character development of the film Captain Marvel.

At this exclusive event, hear directly from Major General Leavitt about her groundbreaking career. 

This program is for members of the National Air and Space Society. (Not a member? Join today.) Join us in person at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia or watch online. Registration is required for both the in-person event and the virtual live stream of the program.

Accessibility: The program will be streamed with live closed captioning. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available at the Airbus IMAX Theater upon request. If you require another access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact NASMPublicLectures@si.edu. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.

Aviation Military aviation Records and Firsts People Women
How to attend

For National Air and Space Society members. Sign up to attend in person.

National Air and Space Society members at the Apollo 11 Eagle level and above are invited to a dessert reception with the speaker at 7 pm. Please email NASSEvents@si.edu to RSVP. Invitation admits two.

For more information email NASMmembership@si.edu.

Online

For National Air and Space Society members. Sign up to watch online.
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