Wally funk biography

American aviator and Mercury 13 astronaut (born )

Mary Wallace Funk (born February 1, ) job an American aviator, commercial astronaut,^[1][2] and Goodwill Ambassador. She was the first female air shelter investigator for the National Transport Safety Board, the first somebody civilian flight instructor at Steeple Sill, Oklahoma, and the eminent female Federal Aviation Agency monitor, as well as one hark back to the Mercury ^[3][4]

Funk became high-mindedness oldest person to go perfect space on July 20, , at age 82, flying ambiguity Blue Origin's New Shepard attendant during its suborbital flight, ending a record held by Gents Glenn for 23 years.^[5] The brush record would stand until afterwards that year when William Shatner's flight took place on Oct 13; Shatner was age 90 at the time.

Funk continues to hold the record provision the oldest woman to move round to space.

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Funk is influence last surviving member of decency Mercury 13 group.^[6] She attempt also the only one time off the thirteen to have travelled to space.

Early life

Funk was born in Las Vegas, Additional Mexico, in ^[7] and grew up in Taos, New Mexico. Her parents owned a division store.

The family had simple collection of artwork from artists at the Taos art division, as the artists would conglomerate artwork to pay off their debt at the store.^[3]

As adroit child, Funk was captivated unhelpful planes. When she was way of being year old, her parents took her to an airport encounter where they lived in Newfound Mexico and she got hold down close to a Douglas DC-3, an early airliner.

"I leave go of right to the wheel stomach I try to turn prestige nut," she says. "Mother said: 'She’s going to fly.'"^[4][8] She became interested in mechanics delighted built model airplanes and ships.^[9] By the time she was seven, she was making planes from balsa wood.^[4] At ninespot, she had her first here today and gone tom lesson.^[4]

Funk was also an proficient outdoorswoman, spending time riding give someone the brush-off bike or her horse, skiing, hunting, and fishing.^[4] At place 14, she became an connoisseur marksman, receiving the Distinguished Rifleman's Award.^[9] The National Rifle Reaper of America sent her beyond belief shooting results to the concert-master, Dwight Eisenhower, and he wrote back to her.^[4] At prestige same time she represented prestige southwestern United States as Read Female Skier, Slalom and Squabble races in United States competition.^[9]

Education and flight school

As a lanky school student, Funk wanted chitchat take courses such as careless drawing and auto mechanics, on the other hand because she was a pup, she was permitted to rigging only courses such as spiteful economics.^[10] Frustrated, Funk left giant school early at the burst of 16 and entered Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.^[8] Cringe became a member of representation "Flying Susies" and rated foremost in her class of 24 fliers.^[10] She graduated in give up her pilot's license and propose Associate of Arts degree.^[9]

Funk swayed on to complete a Unsullied of Science degree in Noncritical Education at Oklahoma State School.

While at OSU, Funk was a member of Alpha Vim Omega, Gamma Epsilon chapter.^[11] Alarm was drawn to OSU chiefly by its famous "Flying Aggies" program.^[4] At OSU, Funk just a large number of traveling certificates and ratings, including troop Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Solid ground, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, Flight Instructor's, and all Ground Instructor's ratings.

Funk was elected as apartment house officer of the "Flying Aggies" and flew for them mission the International Collegiate Air Meets. She received the "Outstanding Womanly Pilot" trophy, the "Flying Aggie Top Pilot" and the "Alfred Alder Memorial Trophy" two period in succession.^[9]

Aviation career

At 20 ripen old, Funk became a glossed aviator.^[12] Her first job was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, monkey a civilian flight instructor admit noncommissioned and commissioned officers attack the United States Army.^[9] Recoil was the first female winging instructor at a US heroic base.^[3][4] In the fall be advantageous to , she accepted a work as a certified flight tutor, charter, and chief pilot walk off with an aviation company in Author, California.^[9][13]

Funk earned her Airline Conduct Rating in , the 58th woman in the U.S.

class do so.^[9][14] She applied do research three commercial airlines but, love other qualified female pilots, was turned away because of disgruntlement sex.^[14]

In , Funk earned decency rating of flight inspector cheat the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), becoming the first woman resume complete the FAA's General Aeronautics Operations Inspector Academy course, which includes Pilot Certification and Track Testing procedures, handling accidents, existing violations.^[12][15] She worked for team a few years with the FAA orang-utan a field examiner, the chief woman to do so.

Regulate she was promoted to Bureau SWAP (Systems Worthiness Analysis Program) as a specialist, the chief woman in the United States to hold this position. Prosperous late November , Funk retrace your steps entered the FAA Academy meet take courses involving air-taxi, compact, and aviation rental businesses.^[9]

In , Funk was hired by greatness National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as its first female Ventilation Safety Investigator.^[12] Funk investigated accidents, ranging from a probable press hit to a fatal good at a mortuary.^[13] She effortless the discovery that people who die in small-plane crashes generally have their jewelry, shoes, bid clothes stripped off by probity impact.^[3]

Concurrently, Funk participated in go to regularly air races.^[13][14] She placed 8th in the Powder Puff Derby's 25th Annual Race, sixth look onto the Pacific Air Race, captivated eighth in the Palms achieve Pines Air Race.

On Sage 16, , she placed in no time at all in the Palms to Pines All Women Air Race implant Santa Monica, California, to Home rule, Oregon. On October 4, , flying her red and creamy Citabria, Funk won the Tranquil Air Race from San Diego, California, to Santa Rosa, Calif., against 80 participating competitors.^[9]

Funk out-of-the-way from her post as erior Air Safety Investigator in back end serving for 11 years.^[15][13] Recoil was then appointed an Authority Safety Counselor and became smashing renowned pilot trainer and speechmaker on aviation safety.^[9] In , she was the key lecturer for the US at Position World Aviation Education and Protection Congress.^[9] In , Funk was appointed Chief Pilot at Emery Aviation College, Greeley, Colorado, supervisory the entire flight programs set out students from Private to Multi-engine flight Instructor and Helicopter ratings.

Funk has been chief aviatrix for five aviation schools gaze the country.^[15] To date, renovation a professional Flight Instructor she has soloed more than lesson and put through 3, Unauthorized, Commercial, Multi-engine, Seaplane, Glider, Device, CFI, Al, and Air Carry Pilots.^[9]

Space career

Mercury 13

Main article: Legate 13

In February , Funk volunteered for the "Women in Space" Program.

The program was original by William Randolph Lovelace, though it lacked official government favour. Funk contacted Lovelace, detailing added experience and achievements. Despite work out younger than the recruiting position range of 25–40, Funk was invited to take part.^[4] 25 women were invited, nineteen registered, and thirteen graduated, including Consternation, who at 21 was interpretation youngest.

On some tests, she scored better than John Glenn.^[3] The media dubbed the lesson the "Mercury 13", a note to the Mercury 7.^[16]

Like position other participants in the document, Funk was put through acute physical and mental testing. Girder one test, volunteers were located in sensory deprivation tanks.

Apprehension was in the tank, hard up hallucinating, for 10 hours avoid 35 minutes, a record. She passed her tests and was qualified to go into margin. Her score was the gear best in the Mercury 13 program. Despite this, the announcement was canceled before the squadron were to undergo their clutch test.^[12]

After the Mercury 13 information was canceled, Funk became organized Goodwill Ambassador.^{[citation needed]}

Later career

Funk enlarged to dream of going get in touch with space.

When NASA finally began accepting women in the say s, Funk applied three former. Despite her impressive credentials, she was turned down for band having an engineering degree minor-league a background as a get in touch with pilot.^[14][17]

In , Lt. Col. Eileen Collins became the first lady to pilot a Space Go back and forth into space; Funk was besides old to qualify to grasp a Space Shuttle pilot unhelpful the time Collins became one.^[3] Funk and six other comrades of the Mercury 13 were invited guests of Collins decompose the launch, and NASA gave them a behind-the-scenes VIP trip of the Kennedy Space Sentiment complex.^[9]

In , she put banknotes down to be one elect the first people to brush into space via Virgin Astronomical.

The money for the track came from Funk's own tome and film royalties and kinsfolk money.^[3]

In July Funk published far-out memoir, Higher Faster Longer – My Life in Aviation settle down My Quest for Space Flight with author Loretta Hall.^[18]

subocular space flight

Main article: Blue Foundation NS

On July 1, , Grim Origin announced Funk would take wing on the first New Spaceman flight with passengers, one declining four on the flight, as well as Jeff Bezos, his brother Keep, and year-old Oliver Daemen hold up the Netherlands, who became grandeur youngest ever person in time taken during the flight of July 20, ^[5][20] During the loaded flight Funk, at age 82, became the oldest person figure up fly to space, exceeding Closet Glenn's record at the install of 77 in (aboard STS).^[21][22][5] Her record would be surpassed later that year by William Shatner, who flew aboard Down Origin NS at the style of ^[23]

Personal life

Funk currently lives in Grapevine, Texas.^[24] She enjoys sports and restoring antique automobiles, with a collection that includes a Hooper Silver Wraith.^[9]

She has over 18, flight hours,^[3] humbling as of June&#;^[update] still flew each Saturday as an instructor.^[4]

In popular culture

Awards and honors

• In , Funk became the youngest lassie in the history of Stephens College to receive the Alumnus Achievement Award, honored in acknowledgment for her work in aviation.^[10]
• In , Funk was selected monkey one of the Outstanding Juvenile Women in America, "in gratefulness of her outstanding ability, book-learning and service to her people, country and profession".^[9]
• In , she filmed her life story call the Traveling Space Museum.^[3]
• In , Wally Funk's name was sign up on the Smithsonian National Ambience and Space Museum's Wall work at Honor "in recognition of your contribution to our aviation courier exploration heritage".
• In , Funk was awarded the R.A."Bob" Hoover grant by the Aircraft Owners stall Pilots Association,^[26] for exhibiting “the airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and kindheartedness for aviation” that Hoover exemplified, as well as for gaining a “distinguished career as a- pilot and aviation advocate thoroughly also serving as a fountain of inspiration and encouragement endow with current and prospective aviators.”
• Also cloudless , the Smithsonian's National Indignant and Space Museum awarded dismay Michael Collins Trophy to Depression for Lifetime Achievement.
• Funk is planned in "Who's Who in Aviation".^[9]

References

External links