About Us

Who We Are

We are a worldwide group of women who, in addition to everything, are pilots. That doesn't mean we own an airplane - but we can fly many kinds of planes!

We fly gliders, balloons, single engine and multiengine planes. Many of us fly jets, some fly military fighters, and a few are shuttle commanders!

We are single, married, parents, grandparents, professional pilots, flight instructors, FBO owners, FAA examiners, and other professionals. Many of us are nurses, teachers, realtors, and other business owners.

Basically, a very diverse, independent group, linked together tightly by the shared love of flying.

Our Mission

Charter Members:

• Lee Agnew

• Donna Taylor

• Ginger Strange

• Jane LaMar

• Lorna Lockwood

• Evelyn Dempewolf

• Eleanore Scott

• Bobbie Morris

• Joan Teats

• Helen Pedigo

• Ruth Osler

• Peggy Patton Smith

• Linda Harding

• Mary Barr

The Ninety-Nines is the international organization of women pilots that promotes advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight.

Yesterday and Today

One day in 1975 a young female flight instructor set out on a journey to Fresno, California. Her purpose was to attend a seminar for flight instruction. Little did she know that her experiences during this trip would eventually lead to the formation of the Mt. Shasta Chapter of the 99s!

The Fresno Chapter of 99s was helping with a flight instructor’s seminar. During the course of the day, she had her first encounter with the 99s.   She was very impressed with this group of women pilots and conversed with several members from the chapter and thus became very enthusiastic about getting as much information as possible that might help her start a 99s chapter in her Northern California area.  At this time she was a flight instructor at Redding Sky Ranch.

Upon returning home, this instructor contacted the Sacramento Chapter and arranged to meet with two of their members who were in Red Bluff, handling the overnight stop for the well-known Palms to Pines Air Race. The two women were very helpful and gave the instructor the necessary information for getting a chapter started. One thing for sure, five members were a must.

The move was on. She set out to find interested licensed women pilots in the Northern California area north of Sacramento. The airports were called to find the names of licensed women pilots. These women were contacted and told there was interest in forming a chapter of 99s and a meeting would be held at Redding Municipal Airport. There were about five or six women attending the first meeting. A second meeting was held at Enterprise, and two well-known women pilots attended the meeting and talked to the prospective members. What a shot in the arm as a current member recalls: “Her love of flying and her participation in the 99s was the story of a love affair. I was hooked and so was everyone else.”

Enough of the women were interested in starting a 99s chapter, Now a name had to be picked and because most other chapters were named for geographical locations the Mt. Shasta Chapter evolved.

The Mt. Shasta Chapter was chartered on June 1st, 1975 starting with fourteen charter members!

The chapter began meetings at Enterprise, then moved the meeting place to Benton Field at Cal-Todd Aviation, Taylor Motors, and back to Municipal when Cal-Todd also relocated there. We are presently meeting at Hillside Aviation now at Benton Field. The chapter when first started covered an area north of Sacramento to Yreka and east to Chico.

Mount Shasta Chapter Ninety-Nines, Inc.