THIS DAY IN AIRPOWER HISTORY - Happy 93rd Birthday, Ninety-Nines!

November 2, 1929: The Ninety-Nines, International Organization of Women Pilots, is founded when a group of 26 aviatrixes met in a hangar at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream, New York to agree on a constitution for an organization dedicated to advancing women pilots in the quickly growing field of aviation. The inspiration behind Ninety-Nines stemmed from the camaraderie the pilots had developed in August 1929 during the National Women’s Air Derby, more popularly known as the Powder Puff Derby. The name they adopted reflects the initial 99 women pilot charter members of the organization. Louise Thaden was elected Secretary and Amelia Earhart served as its first elected president.