WAI Announces Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees for 2018

Women in Aviation International (WAI) has selected the 2018 inductees for its International Pioneer Hall of Fame. These three women will be honored at the 29th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, which will be held March 22-24, 2018, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada. The ceremony will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, 2018, prior to the conference’s closing Celebration Dinner.

"We want to ensure that the rich history of women’s accomplishments in aviation is not lost to time,” says WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. "Our International Pioneer Hall of Fame honors women who made remarkable contributions to aviation as well as opened doors for future generations of women who choose aviation as a career.”

The 2018 Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees are:

Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo was hired at age 24 as an American Airlines pilot in March 1973. She was the first woman hired by a major airline as a member of the cockpit crew. At American Airlines, she flew as flight engineer, first officer, and captain on the Boeing 727. At the time of her retirement in 1998, she was flying as captain in the Boeing 757/767 on domestic and international routes. Her American Airlines pilot uniform is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Kathleen Fox began a career as an air traffic controller in 1974 at Transport Canada control towers in Baie-Comeau, Sept-Iles, Saint-Hubert and Montreal-Dorval and at the Montreal Area Control Centre. She assumed more senior positions with Nav Canada where she served as the director of air traffic control services and vice president of operations. In 2014, she was appointed to a four-year term as chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.  

Brigadier General Linda K. McTague retired in 2009 from the United States Air Force having served more than 28 years as both a pilot and aircraft maintenance officer. During her military career, she logged more than 5,900 flight hours in military trainers and VIP transport aircraft and commanded at both the squadron and wing levels. Her final assignment was as the commander of the District of Columbia Air National Guard.

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, the organization solicits nominations from throughout the aviation industry for the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame.

“This year’s slate of inductees mirror the variety of aviation careers and backgrounds held by WAI members – international representatives of the airlines, government, military, general aviation, air traffic controllers, and more,” adds Dr. Chabrian. “We solicit nominees all year long for our Pioneer Hall of Fame and a nomination may be submitted at wai.org.”