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Aloha Ninety-Nines spread holiday cheer to Hawaiian Islands

The Oahu chapter of The Ninety-Nines, also known as the “Aloha Ninety-Nines,” and the Hawaii chapter of Women in Aviation International are working to spread holiday wishes throughout the Hawaiian Islands this December by delivering “toys, gift cards, and donations to children all across the state using training flights and volunteer pilots,” the Aloha Ninety-Nines said.

The Oahu chapter of The Ninety-Nines and the Hawaii chapter of Women in Aviation International will be delivering toys and other items to children in need across the Hawaiian Islands in December. Photo courtesy of Aloha Ninety-Nines.

“Our chapter mission is really best summarized by the international chapter,” said Tanya Rames, vice chair of the Aloha chapter. The Ninety-Nines Inc. International Organization of Women Pilots was founded by Amelia Earhart and 98 other female pilots in New York more than 90 years ago. “We strive to promote the advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight. Passion is the key word there. Our passion for flying makes all of this possible.”

More than a dozen volunteer pilots and a small fleet of single-engine airplanes will help the two chapters provide “toys and donations to homeless children on the Big Island and children in need on Lanai,” the Aloha Ninety-Nines said. Combining charity and flight training is a model that was successfully implemented by these same organizations in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I never thought that my flight training would be able to bless other people,” said Abigail Dang, an 18-year-old private pilot who also participated in the delivery of personal protective equipment earlier in the year. “When I wanted to become a pilot, I thought that training was just training, but the amazing thing about the Aloha Ninety-Nines and the local aviation community is that training can be a vessel for so much more. It can really branch out and bless other people.”

Jennifer Non
Jennifer Non
Senior Manager of Media Relations and Public Affairs
AOPA Senior Manager of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Jennifer Non joined AOPA in 2017. A former traffic reporter turned media relations specialist, and native Washingtonian, she enjoys traveling and is working toward her private pilot certificate. She was recently honored by Ragan Communications and PR Daily with a Top Women in Communications Award, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion category and is also a member of the Board of Nominations for the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

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