Term 2025 - 2028
Cathy was born in 1944, in Dayton, Ohio, family moved to California when father, Civil Service Instrumentation Technician and machinist, was transferred to Edwards AFB from Wright-Patterson AFB in 1951. Lived on base in Wherry housing. Saw Convair B-36s and North American F-86s flying while living on base. First flight at the age of four in a 40-horse Taylorcraft aircraft from Vandalia Airport, also known as Dayton Airport. It is now Dayton International.
Aviation always an important part of her life, involved in aircraft restoration for over 50 years. Worked as a volunteer with the Mojave Air Races 1969-1979. Reno Air Races in 1980s part of pit crew for F4U-7 Corsair. Served on Mojave Airport, East Kern Airport District Board, now known as Mojave Air & Spaceport at Rutan Field, as an elected Director for 17 years, from 1995-2012. (Was first woman to be elected to EKAD Board – 1998)
Served as President of Bakersfield Council Navy League for 17 years, from 1995-2012 and served as Navy League National Director from 2000- 2009.
First position in Mojave Chamber of Commerce was working on the Gold Rush Days Parade in the early 1990s. Served as a Mojave Chamber of Commerce Board Member from 1994-2018. Served as President in 1995 and 2012. Pushed to raise funds to preserve chamber caboose while serving as president.
Founding Member of Mojave Transportation Museum Foundation in 2002, presently serving as President; Coordinator of Plane Crazy Saturday held at Mojave Air and Spaceport on 3rd Saturday of each month, since 2009. Celebrated 16th anniversary in January 2025.
Is a member of the local Antelope Valley Ninety-Nines, International Women Pilot Organization, Past Chairman; Whirly Girls Helicopter Association – Member #1064; Served as coordinator of Memorial Day Ceremony for Mojave VFW Post #7156 since 1998-2018; Served as coordinator of Veterans Day Ceremony at Mojave Airport since 1996 to 2020; Facilitated Marine Corps Air Station Mojave Plaque Dedication Ceremony honoring WWII & Korea War pilots and air crews – 1996.
Al & Cathy have hosted barbeques for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School classes from Patuxent River for 27 years, beginning in March 1997. Barbeques were held in March and Sept. each year. USAF TPS graduating classes joined in the fun in 1999, also the National Test Pilot School at Mojave Airport. She is an enthusiastic supporter of all branches of U.S. military and supports Kern County military base retention.
She was married to the late Albert C. Hansen, General Contractor, pilot and vintage aircraft rebuilder, owner/collector. Favorite flying machine is their Bell UH-1B Huey. She writes an aviation column, ‘Short Flights,’ for The Tehachapi Loop community newspaper (20 years) and First Flights & Other Sorties for Aerotech News & Review. Wrote ‘As the Prop Turns’ column for Mojave Desert News for over 16 years.
Al & Cathy have participated in many adventuresome aviation projects during their 37 years together, including: B-29 “Keebird” retrieval effort in Greenland with Darryl Greenamyer; flying seven C-7 Caribou aircraft from Kwajalein Atoll to California; Flying a PBY Catalina across the Atlantic from Madrid, Spain to Mojave; flying a HU-16 Albatross from Grand Turk, British West Indies to Mojave; and ferrying numerous UH-1H helicopters across the U.S.
Cathy was licensed pilot with single-engine land; multi-engine land; and rotor wing ratings.