Grand Dames of Aviation

12/26/2025

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news! 💙✈️

Kate (Katherine) Adams has been selected as the 2025 Grand Dames of Aviation ProAvi Pilot Scholarship recipient.

Kate is an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student whose aviation journey is defined by perseverance, leadership, and heart. We have no doubt she’s a future Grand Dame in the making.

Please join us in congratulating Kate as she continues her aviation journey! ✨

10/12/2025

What an unforgettable Girls in Aviation Day 2025! ✈️
The Aerospace Museum of California was the perfect backdrop for a day filled with inspiration, laughter, and the love of flight! 💫

Huge thanks to our incredible Grand Dames guest speakers —
🔥 Caroline “Blaze” Jenson
🐉 Merryl “Dragon Lady” Tengesdal
💎 Carol Dean
🌎 Graciela Tiscareño-Sato

Each shared their unique journey, proving that the sky is just the beginning! 💪

💖 A big shoutout to all the amazing volunteers who made this day possible — we couldn’t have done it without you!

And an extra round of applause to Christine Gibbs, President & Founder of Women in Aviation Northern California, for her endless energy and dedication organizing this fantastic event! 👏

10/05/2025

A day to inspire the next generation of aviators! ✈️💙

The Grand Dames of Aviation joined Take FLIGHT with AVi, hosted by Atlantic Aviation at Wilmington Airport (ILG).

Kids ages 8–18 explored aviation with pilots, engineers, and STEAM experts—thanks to Dame Lyndse Costabile and her aviation INFLUENCE® team!

Dame Elizabeth Dornak, Aviation Director for DuPont, represented us at the Dames booth and shared our mission to celebrate, educate, and inspire women to believe, achieve, and succeed in aviation.

A highlight of the day: meeting Miss Alma Elizabeth Bailey, a Tuskegee Airman nurse, WWII veteran, and proud 100-year-old mentor! 🌟

We loved sharing the joy of flight with so many STEM enthusiasts and future aviators👩🏻‍✈️

08/22/2025

Notice! 📢
Only 10 days left for scholarship seekers to submit their applications! ⏳✨ Don’t miss your chance — apply today and take the next step toward your future.

We can’t wait to meet this year’s inspiring applicants! 💫

🔟⏳💰

Scholarships Our Scholarship Season is OPEN - Please apply by August 31, 2025We look forward to supporting the next generation of women in aviation as they soar to new heights! Professional Aviation (ProAvi) Scholarships $1000 each This category offers two scholarships. The ProAvi Pilot scholarship....

08/07/2025

🚨 Scholarship Opportunity!
Deadline: August 31! ✈️

Are you a woman or young person with a passion for aviation and aerospace? The Grand Dames of Aviation are offering FOUR scholarships to lift the next generation of aviators and changemakers:

🛫 ProAvi Pilot – For women 18+ pursuing careers as professional pilots.
🔬 ProAvi STEM – For women 18+ pursuing STEM careers in aviation or aerospace.
🌟 Wings of Change Junior – For ages 14–22 exploring an interest in aviation and committed to volunteer service.
🎓 Wings of Change Senior – For ages 23+ who are passionate about aviation and making a difference through community involvement.

Whether you’re aiming for the cockpit or simply inspired by the skies, we want to support your journey.

👉 Apply or share: https://www.granddamesofaviation.org/scholarships

Scholarships Our Scholarship Season is OPEN - Please apply by August 31, 2025We look forward to supporting the next generation of women in aviation as they soar to new heights! Professional Aviation (ProAvi) Scholarships $1000 each This category offers two scholarships. The ProAvi Pilot scholarship....

08/07/2025

🚨 Scholarship Deadline: August 31! ✈️
Are you a woman or young person with a passion for flight or a heart for service? The Grand Dames of Aviation are offering FOUR scholarships to lift the next generation of aviators and changemakers:

🛫 ProAvi Pilot – For women 18+ pursuing careers as professional pilots.
🔬 ProAvi STEM – For women 18+ pursuing STEM careers in aviation or aerospace.
🌟 Wings of Change Junior – For ages 14–22 exploring an interest in aviation and committed to volunteer service.
🎓 Wings of Change Senior – For ages 23+ who are passionate about aviation and making a difference through community involvement.

Whether you’re aiming for the cockpit or simply inspired by the skies, we want to support your journey.

👉 Apply or share: https://www.granddamesofaviation.org/scholarships

Scholarships Our Scholarship Season is OPEN - Please apply by August 31, 2025We look forward to supporting the next generation of women in aviation as they soar to new heights! Professional Aviation (ProAvi) Scholarships $1000 each This category offers two scholarships. The ProAvi Pilot scholarship....

08/07/2025

🌟 Scholarship Spotlight: Esme Lowry – Our First ProAvi STEM Scholar! 🌟

We love hearing from our past winners — and 2024 ProAvi STEM Scholarship recipient Esme Lowry has been soaring in every sense of the word!

This year alone, Esme has:
✦ Received the 2025 Women’s Aviation Career Symposium (WACS) Scholarship
✦ Attended the WACS event and met NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli
✦ Presented her team’s bioastronautics project, PERRI, at the University of Michigan BLiSS Symposium
✦ Graduated with a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan Medical School
✦ Shared her project with NASA engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center
✦ Published the PERRI project on NASA’s technical reports server 🔗
✦ Received an AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarship
✦ Returned to the skies after a long school break ✈️
✦ Attended Thunder Over Michigan to see the Blue Angels
✦ Volunteered with the Michigan Ninety-Nines at the KPTK Festival of Flight
✦ Started a new role as a lab manager and research technician at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute 🧬

From the lab bench to the flight deck, Esme is using science and flight to shape the future of aerospace — and we are so proud to be part of her journey.

🚀 Future Dames: You have 3 weeks left to apply for a Grand Dames of Aviation scholarship!
Let Esme’s story inspire you to reach higher, think bolder, and never stop flying toward your dreams.
🔗 Apply now: https://www.granddamesofaviation.org/scholarships

06/22/2025

Dame of the Month: Brigitte Fromm
Airliner. Freighter. Corporate Chief.

Brigitte Fromm’s aviation journey is a masterclass in discipline, devotion, and effective leadership. She began her flying career on the Dash 8 with Lufthansa, rose through the ranks as a B777 cargo captain for Aerologic, and now serves as Chief Pilot and Manager of Flight Operations for BMW Flight Service, flying Gulfstream G500/600 aircraft around the globe.

With over 23 years of experience, Brigitte represents the sharp professionalism and steady command that define a Grand Dame. We’re proud to spotlight her this month and recognize the extraordinary career she continues to build.

06/22/2025

Before Bella Memeo learned how to drive, she learned how to fly.

05/23/2025

🌟 100 Years Ago, a Woman Discovered What the Universe Is Made Of 🌟
And her name deserves to be known: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

In 1925, at just 25 years old, she looked through a telescope at Harvard and saw what no one else had seen — not just stars, but the truth about them.

At the time, most scientists believed the sun was made of the same materials as Earth. But Cecilia’s groundbreaking research revealed something extraordinary:

💥 Stars — including our sun — are made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.
That’s not just a fact about stars. That’s a fact about 99.9% of the known universe.

Her discovery was so ahead of its time that even leading astronomers rejected it. One — Henry Norris Russell — later confirmed her work… and claimed the credit for himself.

But Cecilia persisted.
She earned her Ph.D. (the first ever awarded for astronomy at Radcliffe-Harvard), became Harvard’s first tenured female professor, and eventually chaired its astronomy department.

⚡ Her discovery revolutionized astrophysics.
🌌 Her determination opened doors for future scientists like Vera Rubin.
✨ Her name still shines — even 100 years later.

Her story reminds us why it’s so important to celebrate and support women in STEM — not only because women’s discoveries have too often been dismissed, hidden, or claimed by others, but because science and society thrive when every voice is valued.

When women are shut out or not given credit, it’s not just unfair — it holds back humanity’s progress.

Let this sink in:
💡 A young woman discovered what the universe is made of.
And today, we celebrate a full century since she lit that spark.

📣 Let’s make sure everyone knows her name: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

05/10/2025

🌟 Dame of the Month: Pam Catlin 🌟

At eighteen, Pam Catlin never imagined her path would lead to aviation — she dreamed of being a florist while studying horticulture at Lansing Community College. But one airplane ride changed everything. ✈️

Determined to follow her passion, Pam worked three jobs to fund her flight training, earning all her pilot certificates and ratings at LCC. She later pursued further studies at Purdue University, where she earned her flight engineer certificate. Her journey took her from instructing at the University of North Dakota to flying for Zantop International Airlines, and finally, American Airlines.

Today, Pam is a captain on the B737, with the B787 in her sights. Beyond her flying career, she mentors future pilots through the WAI chapter and American Airlines Cadet Academy and is the force behind the Women’s Aviation Career Symposium at Western Michigan University.

Pam’s chosen quote: "I like to have around me people who find ways to do things, not tell me why they can't be done." — Olive Ann Beech
Pam’s personal motto: "I think of myself as a pilot — a pilot who happens to be female."

Join us as we celebrate Pam’s incredible achievements and the lasting impact she’s making in aviation! 🚀

04/11/2025

We are excited to introduce Dr. Shelly deZevallos as our Dame of the Month! 🌟 Shelly, President of West Houston Airport, is a beacon of inspiration in aviation. From sweeping hangars at eight to earning her pilot license at 17, Shelly's journey is a testament to perseverance and dedication.

With over 5,500 hours of flight time and degrees from the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State University, Shelly's career is marked by her commitment to aviation safety and infrastructure. As a member of the FAA’s Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee, a board member at NBAA and EAA, and Chair of the TxDOT Aviation Advisory Committee, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of aviation.

Shelly also serves on the board of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, empowering girls in her community to reach for the skies. She resides in Houston, TX, with her husband and twin daughters.

Shelly's inspiring words remind us of the importance of relationships and time: “Two things you can never replace in life are time and people. Spend your time with people who want you to soar!” She also draws strength from Wally Funk's determination: "This kid didn't give up. I’ve been waiting since ’61 to get there, and I’m going." Denied a chance to fly into space during the Mercury program because she was a woman, Wally finally got her chance with a ride on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft in July 2021. This quote reflects Shelly's own perseverance, resilience, and unwavering optimism.

Join us in celebrating Dr. Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, a true inspiration in aviation! ✈️🚀 Her journey and achievements continue to motivate and uplift the next generation of aviation enthusiasts.