While it was difficult to miss the fact that March is Women’s History Month, it was fairly easy miss noting that the week of March 4-10 was being celebrated as Women in Aviation Week. It didn’t receive the Presidential Proclamation that Women in History Month did, and wasn’t on the radar screens for promotion by The Library of Congress, National Archives, National Park Service and other prestigious entities as was Women’s History Month. But, for those involved in the field of aviation, there was at least some reflection on the role that women have played in aviation in the past and the increasingly wider role they are playing today and will be in the future.
According to the FAA’s Women in Aviation Advisory Board, in 1909, a French woman, Raymonde de Laroche, became the first woman to fly solo. A year later, she became the first woman to earn a pilot’s license. In 1911, Harriot Quimby became the first American woman to earn her pilot’s certificate. She was also the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
The Ninety-Nines, a women’s aviation organization formed Nov. 2, 1929, by a group of 99 women pilots at Curtiss Field on Long Island, said that in 1910 a woman named Blanche Scott, who was taking flying lessons and practicing taxiing an airplane on the ground became the first U.S. female pilot when the plane encountered a gust of wind and lifted up into the air.
Numerous female aviation pioneers followed, such as Katherine Stinson, who earned a pilot license in 1912. Her family founded the Stinson Aircraft Company, which built many pioneering aircraft and also operated a flight school. Bessie Coleman in 1915 earned a pilot license in France, having been denied the opportunity in the U.S. because she was African American and female. Then, there was Amelia Earhart, who in 1928 became the first woman to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
As of Dec. 31, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimated that 82,817 women held U.S. pilot certificates, ranging from students to airline transport pilots. There were a total of 806,940 active pilots, male and female, at that time so women still make up a comparatively small percentage of aviators. In 2014, the number of active female pilots had stood at 39,322, while the total number of pilots both male and female was 593,499. Women also are active in aviation roles outside of piloting that require FAA licensing, with 9,202 licensed as mechanics, 5,236 licensed as dispatchers and 194,332 flight attendants at the end of 2023.
While the number of women in aviation has been growing, they still are in the numerical minority while their presence in positions of high responsibility continues to expand. What’s happening at Westchester County Airport (identified by its code HPN) is representative of the changing and expanding role of women in aviation. Not only are more women seen piloting private and commercial aircraft at the airport, but women also are active as FAA controllers in the control tower at HPN directing aircraft operations on the ground and in the sky above the airport.
Million Air, a fixed base operator that provides services for aircraft ranging from single-engine propeller planes to large corporate jets has a female general manager, Lauren Romes-Payne.
In January 2022, April Gaspari was named airport manager by Avports, the firm that has a contract with Westchester County to manage the airport. She succeeded Peter Scherrer, who had been manager at the airport since 2005. Gaspari subsequently moved over to Westchester County itself where she became director of aviation.
People in some of the key positions with Avports at HPN are women, such as security manager Brittney Grove. She is responsible for ensuring that federal security standards are being met and that people have proper clearance and documentation to enter various parts of the airport. She discovered her passion for aviation in high school and attended Dowling College School of Aviation on a scholarship. Brittney held supervisory positions at other major airports before joining HPN.
“I am honored to be able to liaise between TSA, government, and law enforcement to protect and secure the many employees, customers, and tenants who utilize our world-class airport,” Brittney said. “Aviation is ever-changing.”
Lauren Walsh, the airport’s deputy airport manager-administration, started her career as an accountant, working at four Rhode Island airports managing fuel sales and inventory, capital projects and customer service. At HPN, she helps manage daily operations.
“I discovered long ago that whatever your passion and interests are, you can find a home in aviation,” Walsh said. “It’s what drew me to HPN to take on the role of finance manager and now deputy airport manager. Here, I help manage daily operations to ensure the passenger journey through our airport is as smooth as possible.”
Nicole Freitas, the environmental specialist at HPN, began her career at the airport in January, having studied environmental and political sciences at UCONN. The impact of airport operations on the environment has long been a concern for Westchester County and local residents. Before joining HPN, Nicole interned at Save the Sound and served as a climate and policy intern at Region 8 in the Environmental Protection Agency. Nicole monitors and reports on the airport’s compliance with environmental policy, ensuring adherence to regulations.
“I enjoy this role immensely as I get to fulfill my passion to help the environment, and it is inspiring to be part of the aviation industry as it continues to evolve and become more sustainable. Each of us on the Avports team are dedicated to improving operations that make a difference in the community at large and for those who rely daily on the airport for travel. Our customers can take comfort knowing that we are doing everything possible to protect the environment during their movement through HPN.”
Some of the content of this article was provided by Adam H. Brill, Avports.
