Women in aviation celebrated at American Airpower Museum

As an aircraft electrician in the Air Force, Meagan Hobson of Brookville spent a lot of time on planes, though not on the flight deck.

That changed in 2019, when she took a mentor up on an offer to pilot a “discovery” flight in Delaware, taking to the skies in a Piper Warrior.

“As soon as I touched the yoke, I fell in love with the sky,” Hobson, 39, said in an interview Saturday. “The yoke doesn’t care what you are — just that you can perform.”

Hobson, now a chaplain and reservist in the Air Force, is currently training as a pilot at Icarus Flying Academy in Farmingdale.

She traded her pilot uniform for a magenta suit Saturday to host “Sky Queens,” a luncheon celebrating women in aviation for Women’s History Month at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale. The event brought together nearly 100 women from across the country to share their stories, network and empower one another, filling the gray hangar with pops of pink.

“Not only are women going into the industry, but we’re already here,” Hobson said. “And we’re building for the women and young girls behind us.”

Hobson organized the event through her organization Women Rock Wings, founded in 2020 to foster camaraderie and support women in aviation with education, resources and a safe place, she said. The organization also provides grants for women entering aviation fields, according to its website.

Attendees at Saturday’s reception represented every aspect of aviation, from cockpits and cabins to air traffic control towers and hangars.

Though women have made strides in the industry, many women said there is still work to do to break down barriers and make training more accessible. Data from a 2020 Department of Defense report shows women make up 21% of the Air Force. The International Society of Women Airline Pilots estimates that 5% of commercial pilots worldwide are women, and are even less represented in other roles.

A 2024 study by the Federal Aviation Administration found that of an estimated 337,855 active aircraft mechanics, 9,778 — fewer than 3% — are women.

Samantha Mitchell of Newcastle, Delaware, has lived that firsthand.

Mitchell, 46, said she was the first female mechanic at Kennedy Airport for Air Jamaica, an experience that tested her.

“There were a lot of older men, and their mindset was that women should be home,” she said. “I was the age of probably their daughters.”

Now, Mitchell as president of Black Women in Aviation shares a message of confidence and encourages young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields.

“Being a minority … you always have to be better than the rest. They’re going to question you from a qualification standpoint, even though you have all the qualifications,” she said. “You just have to continue to show up as the best version of yourself, confident and capable.”

That message resonated with Ruth-Ann Sutherland of Baltimore, Maryland, who found community through Mitchell’s organization.

The 25-year-old, who was born in Jamaica, has a degree in air traffic control and works for a software company that tests simulators to improve training and safety.

She said groups like Hobson’s help provide pathways and opportunities for women in the field.

“Having people representing us to say ‘Hey, you can do it too,’” Sutherland said. “Because in Jamaica, you don’t have that accessibility.”

Hobson said she hopes her message resonates beyond aviation.

“It’s about inspiring young women to do what burns in their heart,” she said. “Whatever your heart craves, just do it.”