Always seeking new opportunities, Helen Holbird was quite the pioneer – she learned how to fly an aircraft while she was in her 50’s. She and her husband eventually purchased their own Cessna 172 Skyhawk 11, and she would pilot that plane on a weekly basis until she retired at age 70.
When a local museum, The Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots, launched a fundraising campaign, Helen was the first one to step up and she donated her beloved Cessna 172 to help their cause. This gift of generosity allowed the museum to sell the aircraft, and with the money, they established an endowment with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, which ensured a lifetime stream of income for the museum.
At that time the museum’s board chairman’s goal was to preserve the history of women in aviation and encourage and inspire young women to consider a career in aviation – Helen’s gift was the first step to meet that goal.