99s Women Pilots on Final Approach to Texas Hill Country

The Austin Chapter of The Ninety-Nines, Inc. International Organization of Women Pilots will host the Spring South Central Section Meeting on May 19-22 in Fredericksburg, Texas. 99s Chapters from seven states will participate in the conference, headquartered at The Inn on Barons Creek Spa and Conference Center.

"Fredericksburg has emerged as the epicenter for Texas wine, as well as an acclaimed arts community," said Susie Awalt, Secretary of the Austin 99s,"the natural beauty of the Hill Country at this time of year will provide a spectacular venue for our members."

"A number of the 99s intend to fly personal aircraft to Gillespie County Airport (T82)," said Fixed Base Operation (FBO) General Manager, Ethan Crane,"we welcome their arrival and look forward to providing full line and fuel service during their stay in Fredericksburg."

Registration will open at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 at the Conference Center. A reception for registered conference participants will follow at The National Museum of the Pacific War, beginning at 4:30. Guests will enjoy a screening of Silver Wings/Flying Dreams a documentary film which tells the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII (WASP). These were the first female pilots to fly every type of military aircraft, paving the way for future generations of women to serve in the United States Air Force and as commercial/corporate flight crew. After the documentary, the 99s will get a short preview of FlyGirls, a dramatic television miniseries in development at The Red Door Films in Los Angeles. Concurrently, the traveling exhibit from the WASP World War II Museum in Sweetwater, Texas will be unveiled.

On Friday, registration at the Conference Center will continue, along with Fly Mart, where participating 99s chapters have information available on upcoming activities and events. The WASP history exhibit will be on display, along with continuous screenings of the FlyGirls preview trailers. This event is open to the public. Prospective members are encouraged to meet with 99s chapter representatives from their home areas and sign up. Conference support is provided by ForeFlight (https://www.foreflight.com), a web-based, mobile application for flight planning and FlyGirls (https://www.flygirlstheseries.com).

Spouses and SOs of the 99s (aka 49 1/2s) will provide transportation to nearby Kerrville, Texas for a tour of the Mooney International aircraft manufacturing facility (www.mooney.com). Conference participants are encouraged to return to the Nimitz Museum where they will receive a discounted pass to all exhibits. And to enjoy the variety of shops and restaurants within easy walking distance of The Baron's Creek Inn.

A welcome reception hosted by the Austin 99s will take place from 6 to 8 pm at Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquities, 301 South Lincoln Street with catering by Woerner Cafe.

The South Central Section business meeting for members only begins at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. During the afternoon session, members will hear aviation presentations from a variety of speakers. Finally, participants will gather at nearby Becker Vineyards for a private tour and banquet in the Lavender Haus Reception Hall. Winners of the Silent Auction and Raffle will be announced.

The Austin Chapter of the 99s meets the 3rd Saturday of every month at various airports in the surrounding Hill Country. They provide on-going aviation education seminars for members and raise funds for the Amelia Earhart Scholarship Program. Most recently, they supported production of the WASP documentary, Silver Wings/Flying Dreams and volunteered time and materials for the renovation of the historic compass rose located at Hondo Army Airfield.

The Ninety-Nines is the international organization of women pilots that promotes advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight. Established in 1929 by 99 women pilots, the members of The Ninety-Nines, Inc., International Organization of Women Pilots, are represented in all areas of aviation today. And, to quote Amelia Earhart, fly "for the fun of it!"