Cowden poses aboard a P-51C Mustang after flying into Long Beach Airport with members of Wings of Freedom, a group that showcases vintage airplanes. The Mustang will be on display along with a B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 bomber. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cowden proudly wears her Women Airforce Service Pilots uniform. She was part of a very small group of women who broke the gender barrier during World War II, logging enough hours to become the first female aviators to serve in the military. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cowden is greeted by a well-wisher after landing at Long Beach Airport. She said she was thrilled to be back in the cockpit of a P-51, thousands of which were built in Long Beach. At 89, she took her first paragliding trip and her second parachute jump. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
