Whirly-Girls Founder Passes Away

Aviation has lost yet another pioneer this week.

We are very sad to announce the death of Whirly-Girls founder and Chairman of the Board, Jean Ross Howard Phelan on Thursday, January 29, 2004.

Whirly-Girls was organized in 1955 by Jean Ross Howard (WG #13), with 12 other women helicopter pilots in France, Germany and the United States.

The organization -- an official affiliate member of the Helicopter Association International -- is dedicated to advancing professionalism in helicopters, while providing women helicopter pilots a forum for the exchange of information and opportunities.

To forward the cause of educating women in helicopter flight, the Whirly-Girls established the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund in 1968. 

Whirly Girls is looking for stories of Jean, along with photos, so that the Whirly Girls organization can compile them into a memory book. 

They request that you please mail your stories and dated photographs to Whirly-Girls International, Box 1943, Los Alamitos, CA  90720.

All members are invited to the memorial service for Jean Ross Howard on Tuesday, Feb 10th at 1 p.m. at the American News Women's Club, 1605 Twenty-second Street N. W., Washington, D. C.

The phone number there is 202-332-6770. 

FMI:  www.whirlygirls.org