There’s always an unexpectedly emotional moment within words delivered by the featured speakers at the Women in Aviation International Conference, and my first tears this morning came during the presentation of the colors.
We have friends, family, colleagues in harm’s way right now, and their service must be honored. This integrity and leadership have already become themes at WAI 2026, and we’re barely halfway through the first day.
With 20,000 members spanning 112 countries, these days WAI has earned the international part of its name, though almost 92% of the membership hails from the U.S. or its territories. More than 5,000 people are expected at the conference this year, and by midday on Thursday almost 4,000 had come through the doors at the Gaylord Texan Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas.
WAI CEO Lynda Coffman is entering her third year at the helm, coming out of retirement after decades of leadership roles at United Airlines. That time has been focused on restoring the organization’s financial health, and in a large part, she has led the team to a steadier course, now earning a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, its highest.
Building cash reserves continues, so that the organization will be able to better withstand the inevitable headwinds—Coffman called out COVID specifically—and fully fund its programming for the growth ahead.
Part of that growth steers WAI back towards its high-water marks in scholarship monies granted. While not yet near the $900K years around 2006, the $530,000 scholarships in 2025 and $610,000 scholarships to be bestowed this year show the strength and resilience of the industry.
International programs take on focus too, under Coffman’s tenure. Case in point, International Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) hosted 40,000 girls in 30 countries in 2025, and the addition of International Ambassadors brought WAI to the Dubai Airshow, among other engagements centering opportunities for women around the world.
Very exciting to me: the introduction of the Global Access Program, which Coffman announced during her opening remarks. Launching on April 1, GAP fills a serious one for women and young ladies in economically challenged regions, with adjusted individual and chapter dues for those wanting to participate. Yes, the $49 dues can feel insurmountable when you’re trying to put food on the table, but dreams should not suffer. The 2026 seed funding for the GAP came from the current WAI Board of Directors and their personal donations to lift the program off the ground.
2026 sees the 50th anniversary of the Women Military Aviators association, honoring their service. Also, WAI has introduced two new awards, the Spirit of Service going to Liz Booker, Literary Aviatrix, and the Mentor of the Year to ERAU professor Samantha Bowyer.
Nicole Malachowski Inspires
In a keynote at least in part responsible for the full-to-the-brim general session on Thursday morning, Col. Nicole Malachowski (USAF, ret.) gave us more on integrity and leadership with the story of her path to the cockpit of the F-15E as a Thunderbird.
“I knew I was too short to be a showgirl, so I went with Plan B and became a fighter pilot,” said Malachowski about her childhood in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Just six pilots get to selected to join the illustrious demo team in any given year; Malachowski was picked in 2005.
So it’s not a surprise, really, that my second emotional moment came during Nicole’s talk about her favorite part of being a Thunderbird: the autograph line that assembled for her that was 2 to 3 times longer than the lines for the other pilots. The reason? It would be full of young women, 8-21 years old, who came to see someone who looked like them doing what she did.
Her stories backed up the key takeaways she gave us:
- Choose an unscripted life.
- Believe those who believe in you.
- Breaking barriers requires integrity… you must maintain fidelity to who you truly are.
