The sixth annual gathering at the College Park Aviation Museum blends history, mentorship, and community celebration, highlighting Latina voices across aviation during Hispanic Heritage Month.
The College Park Aviation Museum and Fig Factor Media will host the Sixth Annual Latinas in Aviation Global Festival on Sept. 26, continuing an event that has steadily grown into a platform for celebrating the achievements of Latina professionals across the aviation industry. Held during Hispanic Heritage Month, the free public festival combines storytelling, educational activities, and community engagement while emphasizing the many career paths that keep the aviation sector moving, from pilots and engineers to air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and administrators.
Taking place at the historic College Park Aviation Museum in Maryland, the festival reflects a broader effort to make aviation careers more visible and accessible to young people. Visitors can participate in bilingual activities, meet featured authors, enjoy live music and food, and, weather permitting, experience a fly-in that connects the celebration with the industry’s enduring spirit of exploration. By presenting aviation through personal experiences rather than technical achievements alone, the event encourages attendees to see the field as one that welcomes diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
A central feature of this year’s festival is the release of Latinas in Aviation Vol. VI, the latest installment in a book series published by Fig Factor Media that shares the personal journeys of 26 women working across the aviation profession. The stories aim to illustrate the determination, education, and resilience behind successful careers while providing relatable examples for students and aspiring professionals. The event will also recognize winners of the new “Flight Plan For My Future” essay contest, inviting middle and high school students in Prince George’s County to imagine their own futures in aviation and aerospace.
The museum is also using the occasion to introduce its first bilingual children’s book, Sofia and Aero’s Amazing Adventures at the College Park Aviation Museum. Designed for younger readers, the book explores the history of College Park Airport, widely recognized as the world’s oldest continuously operating airport, through an accessible and engaging narrative that connects local history with the evolution of flight.
As conversations around representation continue across science, technology, engineering, and transportation industries, initiatives like the Latinas in Aviation Global Festival demonstrate the importance of visibility alongside opportunity. By celebrating established professionals while creating meaningful experiences for children and students, the event reinforces the idea that inspiring the next generation often begins with sharing the stories of those who have already charted the course.
