WAI Announces 2027 Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees
WAI Announces the 2027 Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees
Ceremony and Celebration in Savannah on Friday, February 26, 2027
October 29, 2026- Women in Aviation International (WAI) has selected the 2027 inductees for its international Pioneer Hall of Fame. These three female trailblazers will be honored at the 38th Annual Women in Aviation International Conference during a ceremony and celebration dinner at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, on Friday, February 26, from 7-9 p.m.
The 2027 Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees are:
Kara Spears Hultgreen
The late Lt. Kara Spears Hultgreen was the first modern-era combat-qualified female Naval Aviator and the first female Navy fighter pilot to die on duty. A Distinguished Naval Graduate of Aviation Officer Candidate School, she flew the EA-6A Prowler and became a fierce advocate for repealing the Combat Exclusion Laws, writing to Congress and meeting with any lawmaker who would listen. After combat aircraft were opened to women in 1993, she was assigned to the F-14 Tomcat and qualified aboard USS Constellation in 1994, joining the Black Lions of VF-213. She was lost in an F-14 accident on October 25, 1994, and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Her perseverance helped open combat aviation to women in every service.
Dorothy S. Cochrane
Dorothy S. Cochrane spent nearly five decades at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, joining in 1977 as one of its first female curators. As curator of general aviation and the history of women in aviation, she spearheaded the museum’s first gallery devoted to general aviation, the Thomas W. Haas “We All Fly” gallery, which opened in 2022 to define, explain, and display what general aviation is. A longtime friend of WAI, she drew on decades of WAI conferences and events to reach the general aviation community, and she acquired aircraft for the national collection, including Patty Wagstaff’s Extra 260. She also led the Military Women Aviators Oral History Initiative, recording interviews with 15 trailblazing military women pilots. A leading authority on Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, she received the 2020 Katharine Wright Trophy and retired in 2025.
Susan L. Kilrain
Susan Kilrain, Commander, U.S. Navy (retired), is the youngest person, and one of only three women, ever to pilot the Space Shuttle. One of the first women selected to fly the F-14 Tomcat and a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, she logged more than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 aircraft types during a 20-year Navy career. Selected by NASA in 1995, she piloted Columbia on STS-83 and returned to orbit months later as pilot of STS-94, logging nearly 472 hours in space. Today a motivational speaker and STEM advocate, Susan is the author of the children’s book An Unlikely Astronaut and the memoir Slaying Snakes in the Cockpit.
“We want to ensure that the rich history of women’s accomplishments in aviation is not lost in time,” says Lynda Coffman, WAI CEO. “Our international Pioneer Hall of Fame honors women who made remarkable contributions to aviation as well as open doors for future generations of women who choose aviation as a career. This year’s inductees reflect their unique contributions to aviation, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments.”
The Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to honor women who have made significant contributions as record setters, pioneers, or innovators. Special consideration is given to individuals or groups who have helped other women be successful in aviation or opened doors of opportunity for other women. Each year, WAI solicits nominations from throughout the industry for its Pioneer Hall of Fame. To learn about the more than 130 inductees over the past 30+ years visit WAI.org/pioneers.
This event is a registration required event with an additional fee. Guest tickets can be purchased through WAI2027 registration here. Space is limited for this special celebration with attire cocktail, business formal, or military formal.
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Media Contact:
Kelly Murphy
WAI Director, Communications and Education
202-909-8380 | kmurphy@wai.org