Female Mechanics Calendar 2009

Sarah Lyon just let me know her 2009 Female Mechanics Calendar is available. I mention this every year because I think it’s a neat project. This is the 3rd year for the calendar showcasing real female mechanics, not the swimsuit clad babes with a wrench, these are women fixing everything from motorcycles to Ferraris to tugboats and commercial jets.

Sarah started doing this to give women a bit of recognition for their real mechanical skills, a calendar that wasn’t filled with pinups, but one giving the girls who know how to use a wrench a little time in the spotlight.

This summer I traveled to both coasts, north, and south of my home in Louisville, Kentucky. Destinations included California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, New York, Arizona, Indiana, and Kentucky. I rode my motorcycle to Wisconsin where I camped for three days at the Road America racetrack, photographing Tess Gape, a Ferrari mechanic for a team in the American Le Mans race series. Tess is featured on the cover of the calendar. Then I traveled with the bike on a ferry across Lake Michigan, en route to New York City, to meet with a motorcycle, bicycle, and fireboat engineer there. Riding in the city was a challenge; my fairing gained a few more cracks due to bumpy roads and dodging taxis. Throughout the journey I slept on many couches, camped, and stayed at cheap motels in small towns. Once again, I met so many inspiring people. I feel that the 2009 calendar is especially strong, building on three years of experience documenting mechanics in a wide variety of situations.

If you’re a woman with mechanical skill looking for a little inspiration or if you know someone like that, order one of these calendars. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll be showing anyone that sees the calendar that mechanical skills aren’t for men only.

Link: Sarah Lyon Photography

Related: Female Mechanics 2008
Related: Female Mechanics 2007