Pheobe Omile
AVIATOR (1902 - 1975)
Known as the "godmother" of early Tennessee
aviation, Phoebe F. Omlie started her career as
a barnstormer, wing walker, and stunt pilot. She
and her husband settled in Memphis in 1922
and opened Mid-South Airways, the first flying
service in the Southeast. In the late 1920s and
early 1930s she attained prominence
representing the Mono Aircraft Company in
national air races. Omlie was the first woman
appointed to a federal aviation post. From 1933
until 1936 she served as special assistant for
air intelligence with the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics (the predecessor to
NASA). From 1941 until 1952 she worked with
the Civil Aeronautics Administration (the
forerunner of the FAA). Omlie introduced the
federal airmarking program through the Works
Progress Administration, and started schools
for primary flight instruction and aircraft
mechanic training.
Valentina Tereshkova
ENGINEER (1937- present)
Tereshkova was the first woman to travel into
space. On June 16, 1963, she was launched in the
spacecraft Vostok 6, which completed 48 orbits in
71 hours. In space at the same time was Valery F.
Bykovsky, who had been launched two days earlier
in Vostok 5; both landed on June 19. Although she
had no pilot training, Tereshkova was an
accomplished amateur parachutist and on this basis
was accepted for the cosmonaut program when she
volunteered in 1961. She left the program just after
her flight. From 1966 until 1991 she was an active
member in the U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet. She
directed the Soviet Women's Committee in 1968,
and from 1974 to 1991 she served as a member of
the Supreme Soviet Presidium. In 2008 Tereshkova
became the deputy chair of the parliament of
Yaroslavl province as a member of the United
Russia party. Three years later she was elected to
the Duma. Tereshkova was named a Hero of the
Soviet Union and was twice awarded the Order of
Lenin.
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