Ninety-Nines 'fly-in' for Edwards safety seminar

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Female aviators with the Ventura Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Inc., performed a fly-in over Edwards skies Saturday.

Twenty-three aircraft -- all privately-owned -- landed at the base flightline.

Together with their family members and fellow aviators from other chapters, the Ninety-Nines attended a seminar by the base's flight safety office at building 1199.

"They were invited to come here by the safety office as part of our civilian aviator awareness program," said Maj. Jon Guertin, Air Force Flight Test Center safety officer. "We feel that it is our best interest to have these aviators familiarize themselves with safety, and give them information on what we do here."

Col. Arnie Bunch, 412th Test Wing commander, welcomed the visitors and provided them with a brief summary of what to expect from the seminar.

Members of different base organizations, such as the 445th Flight Test Squadron, 370th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Operation Suppport Squadron and AFFTC Safety, volunteered their time for this event, Major Guertin said.

The briefings provided the 99s with general aviation safety procedures.

Major Guertin talked about aerospace physiology, which gave the visitors information about situational awareness and maintaining this awareness during flight.

Situational awareness is being aware of what is going on in your environment, Major Guertin said. These include spatial disorientation, affects of flight on sensory and visual systems and how to assess the situation and control awareness.

The briefing also provided a glimpse of Edwards' various operations, which included airfield systems management, airspace management, airfield management, life support and weather.

"I was so excited about this," said Marion Nauman, Ventura Chapter chairperson. "I have visited Edwards many times for the educational outreach program for the school I teach. I was always on the ground in a bus or a car. This event is for aviators, and it enables us to learn from the professional military pilots."

The group gathered at Fox Air Field in Lancaster, Calif., then flew to Edwards for the seminar. This is the organization's biggest fly-out.

The Ventura County Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Incorporated, is a group of women pilots who live or fly in Ventura Country, Calif. The chapter is comprised of about 65 members that are licensed or student pilots. The organization is part of the International Organization of Women Pilots.

Formed in 1929 with Amelia Earhart as the first president, the term "Ninety-Nines" is derived from the first event when Ms. Earhart invited all 117 female aviators worldwide to assemble for mutual support and the advancement of aviation. Ninety-nine attended.

The goals of the Ninety-Nines are promoting world fellowship through flight, provide networking and scholarship opportunities for women and aviation education in the community and preserve the unique history of women in aviation, Ms. Nauman said.

"The significance of the fly-in event and the seminar is to expand awareness of Edwards operations to a larger community," Major Guertin said. "We have access to information about safety and other things that would be useful to them. We want to give this information to them in a form that they can understand and appreciate. We believe the flying environment here in Southern California is made safer when people are more familiar with how we do things."