Wearing this dark blue wool maternity uniform with her rank insignia on both shoulders, Captain Cynthia Berkeley flew Boeing 737s for United Airlines during her pregnancy in the early 1990s. It was the first company-issued pilot’s maternity uniform. In the past, pregnant pilots had sewn their own. By the early 1990s, both the aviation industry and the traveling public had accepted that all qualified people, regardless of race or gender, could pilot an airliner.
Blouse, Maternity, Captain, United Airlines
Object Details
- Date
- ca. 1989
- Physical Description
- Blue wool blouse; sleeveless; 6 hidden buttons down front; blue and gold 4 stripe captain insignia shoulderboards
- Summary
- Maternity Uniform
- United Airlines, 1990s
- In the early 1990s, United became the first airline to issue an official maternity uniform for its female pilots. By then the industry and the traveling public had accepted that all qualified people, regardless of race or gender, could pilot an airliner. Capt. Cynthia Berkeley wore this uniform.
- Gift of Capt. Cynthia Berkeley and United Airlines
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Location
- National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
- Exhibition
- America by Air
- Credit Line
- Donated by Cynthia Berkeley
- Data Source
- National Air and Space Museum
- Inventory Number
- A19960512000
- Type
- PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Uniforms: Civil
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Materials
- Uncharacterized Fabrics (Possible Wool)
- Plastic
- Copper Alloy
- Gold Alloy Plating
- Enamel
- Uncharacterized Thread
- Dimensions
- Clothing (On Mannequin): 79 × 42 × 26cm (2 ft. 7 1/8 in. × 1 ft. 4 9/16 in. × 10 1/4 in.)
- 3-D (Blouse, Stored with Light Padding): 79.7 × 62.9 × 6cm (2 ft. 7 3/8 in. × 2 ft. 3/4 in. × 2 3/8 in.)
- 3-D (Badge): 8.7 × 1 × 2.3cm (3 7/16 × 3/8 × 7/8 in.)
- Record ID
- nasm_A19960512000