our story

By 1970 the world saw very few female airline pilots, and members of this small community were widely scattered across the globe.  As the 1970’s progressed, more women started to achieve airline pilot positions around the world. Before the advent of social media, email, or the internet, it was very hard for these pioneers to connect with each other. In an effort to foster camaraderie amongst this special group, ISA+21 founders Beverley Bass and Stephanie Wallach wrote letters to the chief pilot of every U.S. airline and asked them to put an enclosed letter in the mailbox of any female pilots who may have been flying for them.  In May of 1978, 21 female airline pilots met in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first convention sponsored by Continental Airlines. It was here that these ladies charted the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

At its inception, ISA+21

was an initiative for social connection and shared experience for female airline pilots. Over the last four decades ISA+21 has evolved to provide mentorship and scholarship opportunities to female pilots interested in a career of airline flying. In 1994, the International Society of Women Airline Pilots was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit to better serve our members and has proudly provided more than $1.4 Million dollars in scholarship to females pursuing advanced certificates and type-ratings, helping them realize their dreams of an airline career.

Today,

the International Society of Women Airline Pilots has grown to over 900 members representing 90 airlines from around the globe. While the number of women in the flight deck slowly grows, it is our mission to be a global voice to inspire, support and advocate for female airline pilots and continue to increase these numbers worldwide.

Today,

the International Society of Women Airline Pilots has grown to over 600 members representing 90 airlines from around the globe. While the number of women in the flight deck slowly grows, it is our mission to be a global voice to inspire, support and advocate for female airline pilots and continue to increase these numbers worldwide.

At its Inception, ISA+21

was an initiative for social connection and shared experience for female airline pilots. Over the last four decades ISA+21 has evolved to provide mentorship and scholarship opportunities to female pilots interested in a career of airline flying. In 1994, the International Society of Women Airline Pilots was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit to better serve our members and has proudly provided more than $1.4 Million dollars in scholarship to females pursuing advanced certificates and type-ratings, helping them realize their dreams of an airline career.

founderS

The visionaries

Emily Howell Warner

Frontier Airlines
1/29/1973

Stephanie Wallach

Braniff Airways
12/5/1975

Terry London Rinehart

Western Airlines
3/8/1976

Valerie Jene Walker

Western Airlines
3/8/1976

Mary Bush Shipko

Hughes Airwest
5/11/1976

Angela Masson

American Airlines
9/22/1976

Beverley Bass

American Airlines
10/24/1976

Norah O’Neill

Flying Tigers
12/1/1976

Lynn Rhoades

Western Airlines
1/10/1977

Lennie Muttick-Sorenson

Continental Airlines
2/28/1977

Denise Blankinship

Piedmont Airlines
3/7/1977

Holly Ann Mullins

Braniff Airways
3/21/1977

Claudia Simpson-Jones

Continental Airlines
3/21/1977

Karen Kahn

Continental Airlines
7/11/1977

Sharon Griggs

Delta Air Lines
9/12/1977

Maggie Stryker Badaracco

Piedmont Airlines
9/26/1977

Julie Ames Clark

Hughes Airwest
11/07/1977

Gail Gorski

United Airlines
1/09/1978

Sandy Donnelly

Flying Tigers
1/23/1978

Jean Haley Harper

United Airlines
1/16/1978

Jane Bonny

Braniff Airways
10/03/1977

Our Charter Members are ordered by date of hire at their respective airlines