Rosella Bjornson

Ann Lewis Cooper

Arlene B. Feldman

Nelda K. Lee

Dorothy Swain Lewis

2004 Pioneer Hall of Fame

Rosella Bjornson In April 1973, Rosella Bjornson was the first woman inNorth America to be hired as aFirst Officer for a scheduled airline. (Emily Howell Warner was hired as a Second Officer in January 1973.) Born in Alberta , Canada , Bjornson enjoyed flying with her dad in his Aeronca Champ. She took her first flying lesson on her 17th birthday. In 1969she earned her instructor rating and taught at the Flying Club in Winnipeg . She was the first woman awarded the89th Gold Seal of Proficiency from the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association. By early 1973, she had 3500flying hours, an Air Transport Rating and a Class I Multiengine Instrument Rating, so she applied to fly with the airlines. In April 1973, Transair , Canada 's fourth largest airline, hired her as the first female First Officer on a Fokker F28 jet. She was the first woman to be hired by a commercial airline in Canada , and the first woman member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association. Married in 1977, she had to take an unpaid leave of absence for her first pregnancy in 1979 since there were no government regulations to address the subject. By her second pregnancy in 1984, she had been instrumental in changing those regulations to allow a pregnant pilot to fly. In 1990, Bjornson was the first woman promoted to Captain with a major Canadian air carrier. She is currently a Captain on the Boeing 737 with Zip Airlines. Bjornson was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship in 1988, and into Canada 's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997. She is a motivational speaker and has been an active supporter of women in aviation careers.

Ann Lewis Cooper is a commercial pilot and flight instructor.However, she is best known for promoting women in aviation as an aviation author. She has authored morethan 700 magazine articles, acted as editor of aviation publications, and written several biographies. As editor of Aero Brush , the newsletter of the American Society of Aviation Artists, Cooper was instrumental in establishing an award for the “Best Art Depicting Women in Aviation.” Ann co-authored “Tuskegee Heroes” and “How to Draw Aircraft Like a Pro.” Her biographies on women aviation pioneers include “Rising Above it” with Edna Gardner Whyte, “On the Wing” with Jessie Woods, “Fire and Air, a Life on the Edge” with Patty Wagstaff, “How High She Flies” with Dorothy Swain Lewis, and “Weaving the Winds” with Emily Howell Warner. (A biography of Julie Clark is to come.) Ann is an author who has created works that inspire others – to dream, to fly, and to write.

Arlene Feldman was the first woman to head a state division of aeronautics, to be an FAA Deputy Director, and to be an FAA Regional Administrator. Feldman was selected as New Jersey 's Director of Aeronautics in 1982. In 1984 she began her career with the FAA as the Deputy Director of the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City , NJ . Two years later, Feldman became the Deputy Director of the FAA's Western Pacific Region in Los Angeles , CA . She became the FAA's highest ranking, non-politically appointed woman in 1988 when she was selected as New England 's Regional Administrator. During her tenure there, she coordinated an international aviation partnership with Spain and developed one of the FAA's most successful aviation education programs. In 1994, Arlene became the Regional Administrator for the Eastern Region, where she provides leadership for some of the nation's most complex airspace. Meanwhile, she continues to develop aviation education programs, targeting inner city schools to spark the enthusiasm of today's youth and focus their energies.

Nelda Lee is responsible for flight and ground test engineering for the four military aircraft that are manufactured in St. Louis for The Boeing Company, including the F-15Eagle, AV-8 Harrier, T-45Goshawk, and F/A-18 Hornet. She is the Level 2 Manager for Test & Evaluation personnel who are located at St. Louis and at the military test sites at China Lake, CA, Patuxent River, MD and Eglin AFB, FL. Lee has been an employee with McDonnell Douglas Corp. and now The Boeing Company for 35years. She has a BS degree in Aerospace Engineering and was the second woman to receive this degree at Auburn University . Lee also has an MA degree in Management and Human Resources Development from Webster University . A highlight of her career with McDonnell Douglas was when she logged 1.5 hours of flight time in the F-15 Eagle in 1980.

In addition to her career with The Boeing Company, Lee also enjoys aviation as a pastime and hobby. She is a licensed commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine, and helicopter ratings. She is a member of The Ninety-Nines, International Women Pilots, and previously served as Governor for the nine-state North Central Section.

Currently she is serving on the board of trustees for the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum . She is also a member of The Whirly-Girls, International Women Helicopter Pilots, and is Whirly-Girl #247. She previously served as International President and was recipient of the 10thAnnual Doris Mullen Whirly-Girls scholarship in 1977. Lee is charter member #15 of Women in Aviation, International and currently serves on the Board of Directors. She is a member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and the Auburn Alumni Association and has previously served both St. Louis chapters as President.

Lee has been featured in several articles and books and most recently in American Women of Flight: Pilots and Pioneers by Henry M. Holden.

"Dot" Swain Lewis was one of 10 women pilots taught to be instructor pilots at Phoebe Omlie's Women's Research Flight Instructor School , from late 1942 to early 1943. The school was a one-time experiment, set up by the Tennessee Bureau of Aeronautics, to prove that women were capable of being instructor pilots. Phoebe Omlie believed that "Women taught men to walk, they can teach them to fly!" Her women instructor pilots went on to train Navy men to fly in combat situations.

While Lewis was still an instructor under training at Omlie's school, Jackie Cochran approached her about joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Lewis declined Cochran's invitation atthe time because she wanted to honor her obligation to complete instructor training.

After a few months teaching Navy men to fly, she accepted a position teaching the WASP to fly. Eventually she resigned from teaching the WASP in order to become a WASP. Lewis did double duty serving our nation in World War II. She taught future Naval aviators to fly. No doubt some of those Navy men flew in combat and helped win World War II. As a WASP, she flew military aircraft on missions, which relieved male pilots for combat. One of these aircraft was the MartinB-26 Marauder, which towed targets for B-24 gunners in training.

While serving as a WASP, she also helped document their experience and maintain morale with her humorous cartoons and musical talents. A year after World War II the WASP held their first reunion at Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven, PA. Lewis and a group of WASP ferried nearly 100 yellow Piper Cubs and Cruisers first to the Cleveland National Championship Air Races, then on to their destinations.

Since World War II, Lewis has married, had a family, and lived a lifetime of extraordinary accomplishment. She has taught biology, physics, art, horseback riding, and flying. She is an accomplished artist and sculptor.

Past WAI Pioneers