Aviation Women’s Day at the Polish Aviation Museum – Report from a Weekend Full of Inspiring Women’s Stories

The turnout exceeded our wildest expectations and clearly demonstrated how important and inspiring a topic the presence and contribution of women to the development of Polish aviation is. Hundreds of visitors of all ages — history enthusiasts, aviation lovers and entire families — took part in the prepared attractions.

It is worth adding that every woman visiting the Museum that weekend received a symbolic tulip, as a pleasant gesture and a thank you for celebrating together.

Women who keep the skies in check — panel with female aviators

One of the most important points of the programme was the Saturday discussion panel with women working in various aviation professions, which was attended by nearly 150 people. The meeting was a unique opportunity to learn about the behind-the-scenes work of those responsible for the safety and comfort of modern air travel.

The invited speakers talked about their daily work, professional challenges and career paths in an industry that until recently was perceived as a male domain.

The panel featured:

• Marzena Maja Florek — ground traffic coordinator at Kraków Airport, who introduced the audience to the behind-the-scenes work of a marshaller on the airport apron, where precise gestures direct aircraft and ensure safety during ground manoeuvres.
• Anna Brodziak — licensed aircraft mechanic at LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services, responsible for the technical servicing of Embraer and Boeing aircraft. She talked about working in the hangar and the enormous responsibility involved in preparing an aircraft for flight.
• Anna Rembielińska — flight attendant and cabin crew instructor, who introduced participants to the world of cabin crew work, where empathy, composure and knowledge of procedures are just as important as professional passenger service.
• Anna Kosecka — flight attendant at LOT Polish Airlines, who talked about the realities of working on board an aircraft, as well as the characteristic dress code of cabin crew.
• Katarzyna Gojny — captain of LOT Polish Airlines passenger aircraft, who gave participants an insight into the work of a female pilot — from years of training to the responsibility for hundreds of passengers on board.
• Magdalena Majcher — captain of LOT Polish Airlines passenger aircraft, who talked about the emotions that accompany working in the cockpit and the everyday challenges of commercial aviation pilots.
• Anna Zawartka — air traffic controller at the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, who explained what the work of those watching over air traffic in the airspace looks like.

The presentations clearly showed that there are no longer exclusively “male professions” in aviation — women serve as pilots, mechanics, controllers and engineers just as well as men and can successfully be leaders in these professions.

After the panel “Girls from the Clouds” concluded, the meeting’s host Tomasz Kosecki — Director of the Polish Aviation Museum — took the floor. He thanked all the speakers for their inspiring presentations and for sharing their experience gained in various areas of modern aviation with the audience. In a gesture of appreciation, he presented them with commemorative bouquets of flowers, thanking them for their presence and contribution to creating the unique atmosphere of the event.

The Museum Director also addressed warm words of appreciation to the distinguished invited guests who honoured the event with their presence. Commemorative wishes and flowers were presented to, among others, prominent figures of Polish aviation — Mesdames: Adela Dankowska, Barbara Bocian, Bożena Falcman, Mirosława Sznejder-Rachwał, Zofia Koziak, Danuta Witek, Teresa Ćwik-Maszczyńska, Jolanta Przybylak — thanking them for their many years of contribution to the development of “Polish Wings” and inspiring future generations of female aviators.

Exhibition about the pioneers of Polish aviation

An important moment of the weekend was the ceremonial opening of the temporary exhibition “Girls from the Clouds — 95th Anniversary of the 1st Women Aviators’ Rally around Poland”, prepared on the mezzanine of Hangar No. 5 in the space of the new exhibition dedicated to civil aviation.

The exhibition recalls the history of the first women’s aviation rally in Polish history around the borders of the Second Polish Republic, which took place in October 1931. The flight route covered nearly 3,000 kilometres and led through Katowice, Kraków, Lviv, Vilnius, Warsaw and Łuck.

Four female pilots took part in the rally:

• Maria Wardasówna
• Maria Lierówna
• Danuta Sikorzanka
• Wanda Olszewska

Flying PZL.5 aircraft, they proved that determination, piloting skill and courage have no gender. The event aroused enormous interest from the press and the public, becoming a symbol of the growing presence of women in the aviation of the Second Polish Republic.

The exhibition features numerous archival photographs documenting the course of the rally and the aviation careers of its participants. A special place is occupied by the figure of Maria Wardasówna — an aeroplane and glider pilot, one of the first female aviators from Silesia.

The exhibition is enriched with original memorabilia on loan from the Gustaw Morcinek Museum in Skoczów, which in autumn 2025 presented them to the public for the first time at an exhibition dedicated to this remarkable pilot.

In the footsteps of female aviators through the Museum exhibition

The special themed guided tours devoted to women in the history of aviation also attracted great interest, with over 150 people taking part.

During walks through the Museum exhibition, the guides spoke about the pioneers of aviation who had to break stereotypes and overcome numerous obstacles to gain a place in the world of aviation.

Participants could learn, among other things:

• when a woman first carried out a combat flight in an aeroplane,
• what connection the legendary Supermarine Spitfire fighter has with the history of women in aviation,
• who the famous “Night Witches” were,
• what Jadwiga Piłsudska-Jaraczewska was famous for,
• and what connection the small amateur aircraft Kukułka (Cuckoo) has with the history of women in aviation.

Kraków Old Town Orchestra Concert

The Saturday programme was crowned with the concert “To the Ladies’ Health!” performed by the Kraków Old Town Orchestra.
The ensemble, founded in 1988 by Wiesław Olejniczak, is renowned for its characteristic big band sound and energetic stage performances. The concert was a musical toast to the courage, passion and determination of women in aviation.

We invite you to view the photo report from Saturday:

Creative Sunday for the whole family

Sunday was a day of family activities and creative fun. Around 500 people took part in the creative workshops held in Hangar No. 5.

Among the prepared activities were:

• “Scarf — a feminine accessory from the cockpit to everyday life” — workshops presenting various ways of tying scarves inspired by the style of aviation crew. Participants could learn how to wear a scarf around the neck, in the hair or on a bag. The workshops were accompanied by the opportunity to purchase commemorative Museum scarves featuring aeroplane and glider motifs.
• “Aviation keychains” — activities during which participants designed and made their own keychains inspired by the world of aviation.
• “Bags and cosmetic pouches ready for flight” — workshops on decorating fabric bags and cosmetic pouches with aviation motifs.

Field game, AI photo booth and partner stands

The educational mini field game was also very popular, allowing participants to learn about the history of women in aviation in an interactive way. The tasks involved finding objects in the Museum exhibition and solving prepared riddles.
The game was completed by over 100 people, who received commemorative magnets and mini exhibition catalogues.

An additional attraction was the AI photo booth, allowing participants to transform into characters of interwar pilots or modern aviation professionals.

In Hangar No. 5, the event partners also set up their information stands:

• Rzeszów University of Technology
• Silesian University of Technology
• Military University of Technology
• LS Airport Services
• Welcome Airport Services

They presented opportunities for studying aviation-related courses and working in the airport ground handling industry.

Premiere of a publication about women in Polish aviation

An important element of the celebrations was also the premiere of the Museum publication “Women in Polish Aviation. Biographies, Part 1.” The book presents the profiles of the first Polish female pilots — women who began their careers in the realities of the Second Polish Republic, and in some cases even before the outbreak of the First World War. The short biographies are enriched with extensive photographic material and a presentation of memorabilia from the Museum’s collections.
The publication opens a broader publishing series aimed at creating the most complete portrait possible of the “ladies of Polish aviation”.

See you next year!

The enormous interest in the event showed that the topic of women in aviation — both in a historical and contemporary dimension — is extremely important and inspiring.

We hope that Aviation Women’s Day will become a permanent fixture in the calendar of events at the Polish Aviation Museum. We already invite all history and aviation enthusiasts to the next edition of the event next year.