Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review July 15 2016

Students pursue flying with help from the Ninety-Nines
ish her license over senior year spring
by Linda KC Reynolds break. funding to obtain a Certified Flight Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds
staff writer Instructor certificate.
“Jeannine Sparks of Pacific Aero- Happy Students — Stephanie Luongo, an employee of the National Test
Becoming a pilot and inspiring oth- cademy in San Luis Obispo was very As part of the application require- Pilot School, and Erin Hambrick, an employee of Scaled Composites,
ers to fly, especially young females, encouraging and made it happen,” ments, she created a detailed plan and are recipients of scholarships provided by the Ninety-Nines, a non-profit
is a dream come true for both Stepha- says Hambrick. To help pay for les- budget for how she would achieve the organization established in 1929 by 99 licensed woman pilots for the support
nie Luongo, 33, an employee of the sons, she washed aircraft and did of- CFI and submitted it to the Interna- and advancement of aviation. Both pilots will use their scholarships to advance
National Test Pilot School, and Erin fice work at the flight school. “It is tional organization. Out of hundreds their training and pilot skills and dreams.
Hambrick, 32, an employee of Scaled very expensive but if you’re willing of applicants, she was selected. “I
Composites, both in Mojave, Calif. to work hard, there are a lot of ways couldn’t be more excited and more had the skies all to myself.” are normal people also,” she smiles.
to help get you there.” thankful!” said Luongo. She transferred to Colorado and ac- Luongo has a three-year commit-
With scholarships provided by the
Ninety-Nines, an International Orga- Working developmental flight test Fascinated with airplanes since she quired her multi-engine rating while ment to work at the school and one
nization of Woman Pilots, they are ad- for Lockheed Martin on the F-35 can remember, as a young girl she working as a flight controller and sub- of those years she will go through
vancing their skills and encouraging program at Naval Air Station Patux- looked up at them and longed to be ject matter expert on the avionics sys- the Test Pilot program as an engineer
others to do the same. ent River, Md., was a dream job out flying. On her first commercial flight tem for the Dream Chaser spacecraft, and will receive a master’s degree in
of school, although, after five years she was amazed at how far she could which at the time was a manned lifting Flight Test Engineering. “When all is
Hambrick won the Ozzie Levi Me- Hambrick was longing for the flying see — “the beauty of the sky and body in development for sending as- said and done, I’ll be a graduate of an
morial Scholarship from her local weather in California and an opportu- earth, being able to see for hundreds tronauts to and from the International internationally-recognized test pilot
Antelope Valley 99s Chapter, which nity to participate in prototype aircraft of miles, was so amazing. I was defi- Space Station and possibly serve as a school. All of the invaluable training
will help her achieve a commercial design. She is now working in Mojave nitely in it for the views,” explained replacement to the space shuttle. I’m getting at NTPS will prepare me
license. “I am so grateful for the 99s, on the Stratolaunch project, which will Luongo. for a position in industry where I can
they have done so much for me,” said be the largest aircraft in the world. Luongo then had a six-month de- be part of a developmental flight test
Hambrick. Nobody in her family was an avia- ployment to Edwards Air Force Base. program and possibly be flying on the
When asked if she ever thought she tion enthusiast, and actually her moth- “That really sparked my interest in aircraft supporting the test pilots.”
Inspired by her grandfather who would be working on such projects, er was afraid of flying and thought she flight test and got me thinking about
was a machinist and built model air- she giggles. “Life has never turned was a bit crazy when she told her she how I can combine my two passions, Luongo has applied with NASA to
planes, Hambrick dreamt of flying, out how I thought it was going to; I’m wanted to be a pilot. “I think it was engineering and flying.” become an astronaut and is waiting on
especially huge, military aircraft; from the Midwest [Enid, Okla.] Every just inside of me, I wanted to be in the a response.
however, due to her poor eyesight, she day I wake up amazed and privileged sky instead of on the ground.” Boeing and SpaceX ultimately won
thought flying was impossible at all to be a pilot!” She never imagined she NASA’s Commercial Crew contract “Going to space, to be an astro-
levels, so she decided to do the next would be working at Scaled Compos- Born and raised in Reno, Nev., but all was not lost. She was accepted naut, is the ultimate dream. I know
best thing — to design them. ites, working with great people and Luongo pursued a master’s degree in at the National Test Pilot School in 500 amazing, qualified people apply
meeting several of her heroes, includ- electrical engineering from University Mojave and is enrolled in the Gradu- and they can only choose 10, but I’m
Attending an air show in Camarillo, ing Burt and Dick Rutan. “Sometimes of Nevada while working full time for ate Assistant Program. still hoping.” Meanwhile, she is quite
Calif., while pursuing an aeronautical I have to pinch myself; it’s all a treat.” Sierra Nevada Corporation, an aero- content learning from some of the
engineering degree at Cal Poly, she space and defense contractor. “To me, my instructors are the guys best teachers in the industry and shar-
watched a formation of T-6s and other Her dream of becoming a tradi- straight out of ‘The Right Stuff;’ they ing her love of flying with the 99s and
planes. The announcer said that they tional military pilot was unrealizable A few of her workmates were pilots are all incredible pilots and engineers. future pilots.
were all female pilots from the 99s. but she holds on to her passion for and owned their own aircraft. “Con- Sometimes I think we forget that they
military aircraft, especially those from versations always seemed to turn to
“I was really impressed of all the World War II. flying and one day my boss handed
female pilots doing such a great job,” me a card with an instructor’s name.”
recalls Hambrick. Connecting with the The flight training that she does on
local San Luis Obispo 99s chapter on- her own helps her to be a better air- Within eight months she had her
line, she explained that she was not a craft designer and flight test engineer. private pilot’s license, and a few
pilot but studying to be an aerospace Pursuing a commercial and ultimately years after she continued her training
engineer and thought she should talk a CFI rating would enable her to pay by completing instrument and glider
to a few pilots before she was turned it forward, just as the 99s had done ratings.
lose to design aircraft. “Do we have for her. “To be there, to share and en-
things we can share with you!” the 99s courage the love of flying, to build a Her first flight in a small plane was
informed Hambrick. community, and to provide others with with her instructor. “It wasn’t like, am
financial help — that’s what it is all I really going to like this? It was ‘this
“I started to hang out with them to about,” says Hambrick. is what I’m doing.’ And it has been
learn how they interacted with their the coolest thing I’ve ever done, hands
aircraft and they all encouraged me to Stephanie Luongo was awarded the down.”
fly, especially, Cheryl Cooney.” 99s Amelia Earhart Memorial Schol-
arship where she will receive full Waking up early before work, Lu-
Hambrick went into accelerator ongo would get in an hour or so of fly-
mode with a few lessons a day and ing. “It was the most serine, tranquil
went from solo to check ride to fin- time for me. Nobody was on the radio
that early in the morning, it was if I

New leader for 416th FLTS
Col. Scott Cain (left), 412th Operations Group commander, hands the
416th Flight Test Squadron guidon to Lt. Col. Chris Keithley during a change
of command ceremony June 24, 2016, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Keithley takes over from Lt. Col. Darren Wees.
Keithley comes to the 416th just down the road from the 461st Flight Test
Squadron where he served as director of operations. He is a senior pilot
with more than 2,000 flight hours in 35 different aircraft. Keithley is also a
distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards.
The 416th FLTS oversees developmental test and evaluation at Edwards
AFB for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The squadron conducts program man-
agement, flight operations and test engineering for the Global Power Com-
bined Test Force, overseeing the continuous modernization of the F-16.
Additionally, the 416th FLTS provides training for other squadrons around
the Air Force in high angle of attack departure recognition, avoidance and
recoveries.

Air Force photograph by Chris Okula

6 Aerotech News and Review July 15, 2016

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