International group of women aviators share flight experiences from seven continents
SEATTLE, Feb. 23, 2010--WomenFly! is The Museum of Flight's annual Women's History Month event. This year on March 6 an international panel of women pilots will share their exciting experiences in the world of aviation. This year's panel includes distinguished women pilots from almost every continent. Their experiences include flights in the Australian outback, Alaskan wilderness, Antarctic slopes, African plains and the urban landscapes of Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States. The program is at 2 p.m. in the William M. Allen Theater, and is free with admission to the Museum.
 
The following panelists are scheduled to appear:
Michelle Bassanesi (Italy) Bassanesi is the founder of Aviation and Women in Europe, www.aweu.org  She is a flight instructor with experience flying paragliders, hang gliders and airplanes.
Kajuju Laiboni (Kenya) Co-founder of Women Aviators in Africa,
http://wafric.org
Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa) A co-founder of Women Aviators in Africa, in 2006 Ledwaba became the first black woman helicopter pilot for the South African Police Service Air Wing. For more information please see:  
http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/gsbwebb/default.asp?intpagenr=766
Harumi Sato (Japan) Sato is a flight instructor and has flown as a commercial pilot in the United States and as an airline pilot in Japan.
Fran West (Australia) West is the first woman pilot to circumnavigate mainland Australia in a light aircraft. She is also an author, photographer and motivational speaker. For more information please see:
http://www.franwest.com/
Capt. Jennie Steldt (United States) Steldt is a United States Air Force pilot who flew the first C-17 Globemaster airdrop on Antarctica.
Lt. Karina Miranda (Chile) Miranda is a fighter pilot in the Chilean Air Force.
 
The panelists will return for a public program on Saturday, March 6 at 2 p.m. Program is free with Museum admission.
 
Media please contact the Museum public relations office for detailed program presenter information, contacts and interview opportunities. 

Harumi Sato photo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Refilwe Ledwaba photo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fran West photo.
 
 
 
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The non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest independent air and space museums in the world. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the William E. Boeing Red Barn® -- the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Co. The J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing displays 28 World War I and World War II aircraft from the United States and other countries including Germany, Russia, and Japan. Over 30 aircraft representing the first century of aviation are displayed in the all-glass T.A. Wilson Great Gallery. The evolution of space flight and a look into the future are presented in the exhibit, Space: Exploring the New Frontier. The Airpark includes outdoor displays including the first jet Air Force One, a supersonic Concorde airliner and the prototype Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Interactive displays in The Flight Zone provide educational and entertaining activities for young children. The Museum's aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. More than 140,000 students are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs--the most extensive museum-based youth aviation and space education program in the country. The Museum is the only air and space museum in Washington State that is both nationally accredited with the American Association of Museums and a Smithsonian affiliate.
 
The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $8 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org
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