"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
03/08/2014 at 21:09 • Filed to: Planelopnik
6
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"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
03/08/2014 at 21:09 • Filed to: Planelopnik | 6
| 2 |
Today at the air museum we had a special program dedicated to women in aviation. One speaker was Mary Feik, who I can safely say is the single most badass woman I've ever met. She might even be the most badass woman ever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Feik
Quick highlight reel: learned to weld at 11, overhauled a V8 by 13, became an aircraft engineer at Wright Field by 18. While there, she designed and built the first Captivair, basically a test stand for aircraft systems and training using a real airplane bolted to the ground. Oh, and did I mention she went from zero flying experience to soloing a P-51 Mustang in two weeks? Yeah, she did that too. All at a time when women basically weren't allowed to do anything that didn't involve raising a child or taking care of a man
She didn't stop there. Her experience with the Captivair was applied to work she did on early jet fighters, for which she authored maintenance and training manuals. Later in life she became a restoration specialist restoring airplanes ranging from a WWI fighter she restored with high school students to airplanes that hang in the National Air and Space Museum.
In 1996 Mary became the first female recipient of the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award for contributing to aviation safety with over 50 years of working actively as an aircraft mechanic.
It's my understanding that tomorrow is Mary's 90th birthday, and she's still going strong with her support for the Civil Air Patrol. Her story is truly inspiring and I am honored to have met her briefly and heard some of her story. Mary truly shows that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to no matter what people say, and I'm as grateful for what she has done for aviation as I am amazed at what she was able to accomplish all the way back in 1942.
f86sabre
> Jayhawk Jake
03/08/2014 at 21:44 |
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Thanks for sharing that. She sounds amazing.
desertdog5051
> Jayhawk Jake
03/08/2014 at 21:54 |
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Very impressive. Thanks.