Meet local women in the aerospace industry, participate in hands-on STEM activities, climb aboard historic aircraft, use flight simulators, and more!
The New England Air Museum will hold its annual event, Women Take Flight, on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 10AM – 3PM. The museum’s family friendly celebration of women in aerospace features hands-on activities, flight simulators, open cockpit experiences in historic aircraft, lectures, and opportunities to meet local women in the aerospace industry.
This year’s event features Terry VandenDolder as keynote speaker. Lieutenant Colonel Teresa (Terry) VandenDolder served 28 years in the U.S. Air Force and has been a pilot for American Airlines for 34 years. She began her flying career through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Connecticut and was among only 11 ROTC women chosen nationally for Air Force pilot training that year. After college graduation Terry attended pilot training at Laughlin AFB in Texas, where, as the only woman in a class of 76, she graduated in the top 10%.
From 1987 to 1989 Terry was a C21A (Lear 35-A) Evaluator and Instructor Pilot at Andrews AFB in Maryland, where she trained young pilots and transported White House, congressional, and Dept. of Defense dignitaries throughout the United States. In 1989 Terry transitioned to the Air Force Reserve and was again assigned to fly worldwide missions on the C-141. From 1990 to 1991, she was called back to active duty to fly missions in support of the Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, in the Middle East.
From 2004 to 2008 Terry served in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force as a legislative liaison between the Pentagon and Congress and as a military analyst for US AFRICA Command, based in Stuttgart, Germany, where she coordinated Dept. of Defense and State Dept. programs for U.S. interests in West Africa.
Terry began flying for American Airlines in 1990. During her 34-year career with American, she has flown the Boeing 727, MD-80, B-737, B-757, and B-767, based at National Airport in Washington, D.C. She is now a B-777 Captain, based at Kennedy Airport in New York, and flies international routes to Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia. Click here for full biography.
Terry VandenDolder will speak on her aviation career at 11AM. Seating is first come first serve and included with general admission.
Food will be available onsite to purchase from Fat City Kid food truck.
All events (excluding flight sims and food truck) are included with museum admission. Admission is $23 for ages 15 and up, $18 for ages 65 and up, and $13 for youth ages 4-14. New England Air Museum members and children under 3 are free. For more information and a full event schedule, please visit www.neam.org.
