Page 8 - Women's History Month 2021 - Combined Special Edition of Aerotech News and Review Nellis AFB Creech AFB Desert Lightning News

Antelope Valley Chapter Ninety-Nines took part

in commemoration of aviation legends

by Cathy Hansen In the history of the shuttle program, fications. After naming off all of Jackie
special to Aerotech News only three women have been designated Cochran’s achievements and records,
as pilot astronauts. Aboard space shuttle she concluded that Jackie had all of her
The Antelope Valley Chapter of the orbiter Discovery (STS-92) on Oct. 11, rights going for her as well.
Ninety-Nines were privileged to attend 2000, Air Force Lt. Col. Pamela Ann “There was never a question about
not one but two events featuring famous Melroy became the third woman to whether or not she was at the right place
aviatrixes in a single week! make her first flight into space as pilot. at the right time, she made sure she was
On May 15, 2003, Astronaut Pam On that mission, they delivered the there all the time,” Marta said. “As far
Melroy, a member of the Antelope Z1 truss to International Space Sta- as qualifications, there is no question,
Valley Chapter, was the guest of honor tion. On her 2003 mission, she made they were there and of course, the en-
and featured speaker at a dinner hosted her second visit to the ISS to deliver thusiasm was always in place.
by the Lockheed Martin Leadership As- more components for the station, the “She also knew how to use the net-
sociation at the Park Plaza Hotel and Integrated Truss Assembly S1 (Star- work to her benefit and to the benefit of
Convention Center in Lancaster, Calif. board Side Thermal Radiator Truss) all women and all aviators,” said Marta.
Antelope Valley members Lynne and the Crew Equipment Translation “She was an aviators’ aviator and she
Aid (CETA) Cart. The Atlantis crew was also a woman aviator.
also carried several science experiments “The Ninety-Nines represented here
to the station. Pam’s talk focused on her today, the WASP members and the
voyage into space as she shared slides military women aviators are the people
from both of her missions. of Jackie’s legacy,” Marta said. “And
Pam concluded by describing reen- this legacy, I’m sure, is something she
try into the atmosphere at Mach-22 and Courtesy photograph would be very proud of. Today, Jackie
landing at 205 knots, which is hard for WASP Flora Belle Reece and husband Ralph, Chuck Yeager and WASP Cochran is an important figure in avia-
a Cessna pilot to ever imagine! “In two Irma ‘Babe’ Story. tion and an important figure in our
years I will be the commander,” Pam world. Let us commit to keep her leg-
glowed. “It’s fun to be the shuttle pi- Yeager who spoke to a crowd of sev- “Pinkie” Weiss. acy alive and well and embrace those
lot, but even more fun to be the Com- eral busloads of invited guests, includ- The first speaker, Bea St. Claire- women who want to become women
mander.” ing: four members of the Women’s Air Thurston, shared her thoughts on Jack- in aviation.”
Everyone went home watching the Service Pilots (WASP), Ninety-Nines ie’s role in forming the WASP. Two The final speaker was Yeager, Jackie
dramatic total eclipse of the moon and from several chapters; women astro- modern aviatrixes, Marta Bohn-Meyer Cochran’s friend and mentor. He shared
dreaming of space flight and looking nauts and Air Force pilots; professional and Air Force Lt. Col. Sandy Miarecki, his memories of flying with Jackie, both
forward to an exciting time at Edwards aviatrixes; test pilots and community followed her. in her record-setting flights and also on
Courtesy photograph Air Force Base, Calif., next morning dignitaries. After the formal unveiling Miarecki served as Assistant Cadet cross-country flights to ferry aircraft or
Astronaut Pam Melroy was guest as the Ninety-Nines helped to cele- of the plaque, Al Hansen (husband of Flight Indoctrination Program Project visit dignitaries around the world.
of honor and featured speaker at a brate the 50th anniversary of legendary Ninety-Nine member Cathy Hansen) Officer at Randolph AFB, San Antonio, “I had a lot of fun with Jackie,” said
dinner hosted by the Lockheed Martin Jackie Cochran’s first flight through the flew his Canadair F-86E over to Ed- Texas, while a member of Sacramento Yeager. “Because she was a strong
Leadership Association at the Park sound barrier. wards from Mojave Airport in a salute Valley Chapter. She flies the sleek, fast willed person and absolutely unpre-
Plaza Hotel and Convention Center Jacqueline Cochran Odlum (1906- to Jackie’s history-making flight in the T-38 Talon, a jet aircraft that Jackie Co- dictable.
in Lancaster, Calif. 1980) broke the sound barrier at Ed- same model.
wards on May 18, 1953, in a Canadair Following the dedication, a luncheon
F-86E, becoming the first woman to was held that featured static aircraft After lunch, all the Ninety-Nines, WASP members, NASA
Bunn, Rosemary Coonrod, Elle Cous- boom through the invisible boundary, displays, an exhibit about Jackie Co- Astronauts and women Air Force aviators gathered around the
sens, Michelle Davis, Elise Gravance, accompanied by the famous test pilot chran’s achievements, a short video F-86 and aircraft for photos.
Cathy Hansen, Leigh Kelly, Flora Chuck Yeager as her chase pilot. about her aviation exploits, and com-
Belle Reece, Barbara Hunter Schultz, To commemorate the event, May 16, ments from four distinguished guests
LaDell Simmons, Diana Tanner, Bev- 2003, was proclaimed “Jackie Cochran who spoke about what Jackie Cochran
erly Vander Wall, and Future Woman Day” at Edwards AFB and a plaque was had meant to them.
Pilot Lark Cobb were joined by Sacra- dedicated to Cochran and her history- Jackie Cochran was president of the
mento Valley Chapter member Sandy making flight. In front of the plaque, Ninety-Nines from 1941-1943, and co-
Miarecki as special guests of the LMLA mounted on a pedestal next to an F-104 founded the WASPs to help with the
to enjoy an evening with their sister Starfighter (the type of aircraft used by war effort in 1943. Two of the WASP
Ninety-Nine Pam, as she shared some Cochran for her later Mach 2 flights), members in attendance, Lancaster
of her experiences on her most recent Maj. Gen. Wilbert D. “Doug” Pearson residents Flora Belle Reece and Irma
flight as pilot of STS-112 Atlantis. introduced retired Brig. Gen. Chuck “Babe” Story (respectively of Ante-
lope Valley and San Fernando Valley
Chapters), were on hand to reminisce
with Yeager, along with fellow WASP
Bea St. Claire-Thurston and Margaret chran set many records in. “When she flew the T-38 from Palm-
Miarecki told how Jackie influenced dale to Minneapolis/St. Paul, non-stop,
her decisions during her Air Force ca- I followed her in an F-100 with a bag-
reer. “Whenever I met a challenge that gage pod,” Yeager explained. “And in
seemed a little overwhelming,” Sandy that baggage pod was about $2-million
said. “I would tell myself, Jackie Co- worth of jewelry! There were shoes,
chran did it and so can I.” silk dresses and makeup.”
More often than not, she found her- Yeager complained about having to
self to be the only woman during educa- carry all her luggage and her reply was:
tion classes in the Air Force; the only “Well, I have to wear all this to look
woman flying during flight training, and beautiful!”
the only woman in a squadron, but she Jackie Cochran once said, “An air-
was never deterred. plane doesn’t know the difference
NASA Dryden Flight Test Engineer between men and women, only good
Marta Bohn-Meyer, the only woman to pilots and bad pilots.” Yeager said,
fly in the SR-71, said, “I’m jealous of “Jackie Cochran’s name, even today,
Jackie Cochran and all the records she holds more records than any other per-
set, but Jackie wasn’t the only woman son, male or female.”
to fly in the SR-71. I was!” Yeager concluded with this state-
NASA photograph
Courtesy photograph NASA Dryden Flight Test Engineer Time and time again, Marta speaks ment, “Sandy and Marta, you have
Jackie Cochran and Chuck Yeager at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Marta Bohn-Meyer of her four rights: right time, right kicked the doors down in a male domi-
place, right enthusiasm and right quali- nated world and made us look bad.”
Aerotech News and Review
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