The Crafty Curator Presents: “Taking Flight with Lucille Chaffin Kent”

Join us for this month’s First Friday to create your own airplane while learning about pioneering local pilot Lucille Chaffin Kent and her place in Lynchburg’s aviation history. This family-friendly activity invites visitors to explore local history through hands-on creativity. The event is free and open to the public.

Lucille Kent (1908–1997) was known as “Lynchburg’s Amelia Earhart.” She was one of the first licensed female pilots in Lynchburg and a fixture at Preston Glenn Airport (now Lynchburg Regional Airport) in the mid-20th century. She trained several thousand men to fly during World War II, teaching subjects as varied as meteorology and aircraft engines. This special First Fridays event coincides with her upcoming induction into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame in November. She will be the tenth Lynchburg aviator and the first local woman pilot in the Hall of Fame.