Oshkosh started with a little excess rain this year. For the first few days, only visions from past Airventure events could fill the space between the few tents on the grass with airplanes. That certainly did not stop five of the participants to the celebration of the Centennial of Women Pilots to respond "present" at our forum, 100 Years of Legacy - Pay It Forward, on Friday morning.

After attending the Women in Aviation celebrity breakfast at 8:00 AM and the official women pilots photo at the Aeroshell Square at 10:30 AM, Lesley Page from Oshawa, ON, Canada, Heather Gollnow from Green Bay, WI, USA, Monika Petrillo from Pasadena, CA, USA, Linda Artman from Panama City, FL, USA and Amy Laboda from Florida, USA, took turns during our forum at the EAA Museum to share with the audience the reasons why they are taking part of the celebration of the Centennial of Women Pilots and how it changed their lives and those of their passengers.

Like the passionate women pilots of the past, the women pilots of today believe in taking on challenges and making a difference in the world they live in. Like the fascinating women pilots of the past, the women pilots of today have interesting lives that include tough choices and struggles. And like the community minded women pilots of the past, the women pilots of today are committed to share their passion for aviation.

As Martin said: "I'm for anything we can do to increase women's interest in aviation." With five months to go before the end of 2010, join these women and the men that support them and introduce a record number of girls and women to aviation to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of the women pilots of the last century. Pay it forward.