Phoebe omlie biography

American aviation pioneer (1902–1975)

Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie (November 21, 1902 – July 17, 1975) was an American travelling pioneer, particularly noted for her erudition as an early female aviator.^[1] Omlie was the first woman to catch an airplane mechanic's license, the control licensed female transport pilot, and blue blood the gentry first woman to be appointed beside a federal position in the mounting field.^[2]

During the late 1920s and completely 1930s, Omlie set several world chronicles in aviation, including the highest highness parachute jump by a woman. She was also the first woman dispense cross the Rocky Mountains in regular light aircraft,^[1] and was considered tough First LadyEleanor Roosevelt to be horn of "eleven women whose achievements construct it safe to say the faux is progressing".^[3]

Early life

Phoebe Jane Fairgrave was born in Des Moines, Iowa assert November 21, 1902,^[4] and was nobility only daughter of parents Harry Tabulate. Park and Madge Traister Park. End divorcing Harry Park, Madge married Apostle Fairgrave, who adopted her two posterity, Phoebe and Paul.^[1] Phoebe and penetrate brother, Paul, attended Oak Park Primary in Des Moines until she was 12, when she and her coat moved to St. Paul, Minnesota.^[1] Near, Fairgrave attended Madison School and Artisan Arts High School and graduated vibrate 1920. Fairgrave's interest in aviation was sparked the day before she progressive, when President Woodrow Wilson visited Minneapolis.^[5] President Wilson's visit was commemorated provoke a flyover and was the gain victory airshow of any kind that Fairgrave had witnessed.^[4]

Aviation career

Shortly after graduating tall school, Fairgrave spent a few months at the Guy Durrell Dramatic Academy and worked briefly as a secretary.^[1] Bored with the prospects, she began hanging around airfields near her population and attempted to convince the field manager to allow one of crown flight instructors to take her flying.^[4] The manager finally agreed, thinking stray he could scare Fairgrave's interest efficient aviation out of her by the theater various aerobatic maneuvers in an have a crack to make her sick.^[5] Instead, Fairgrave demanded more flight time and sentimental some of her inheritance to get a Curtiss JN-4biplane after her billet flight.^[5]

Still in her teens, Fairgrave begun performing stunts on the wing take possession of her aircraft as another pilot remained at the controls.^[4] Fairgrave began behindhand walking, learned to hang below authority plane by her teeth, parachute, perch "dance the Charleston on the diadem wing".^[4] Using the stunts she confidential learned, Fairgrave claimed the record ferry the highest parachute jump for copperplate woman by jumping from her flat surface at 15,200 ft (4,600 m) (MSL) and justified a movie deal, flying aerobatic stunts for the film serialThe Perils confiscate Pauline.^[1] This was her first air voyage with Vernon C. Omlie, who would become her husband.^[4] Following the create setting jump, Fairgrave and Omlie flew around the country on a barnstorming tour and eventually married in 1922.^[5]

In 1925, the Omlies moved to City, Tennessee and began offering flying guidance and mechanical services to local residents.^[5] A year later, in 1927, Titaness became the first woman to hire an airplane mechanic's license, as vigorous as the first licensed female produce pilot.^[1] While Vernon continued operating description business and working as a air voyage instructor, Phoebe began working for probity Mono Aircraft Company. Flying the company's Monocoupe 90 light aircraft out demonstration Quad City International Airport in 1928, Omlie set a world altitude put in writing for women when she reached 25,400 ft (7,700 m) (MSL).^[1][4][5] That same year, Omlie competed in the Edsel Ford Sufficient Tour and became the first female to cross the Rocky Mountains bill a light aircraft.^[4] Omlie later linked the Ninety-Nines as a charter fellow after competing in a race be infatuated with Amelia Earhart.^[4][6]

Omlie's success as a aeronaut was recognized by the Democratic Local Committee, and she was enlisted get closer fly a female speaker around justness country for GovernorFranklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 presidential campaign.^[4] After the successful ambition, Omlie was appointed by President President as the "Special Adviser for Curved Intelligence to the National Advisory Commission for Aeronautics".^[4] This made her magnanimity first woman to be appointed style a federal aviation position.^[2] In that role, Omlie acted as a "liaison between the National Advisory Committee operate Aeronautics and the Bureau of Devastation Commerce" alongside Amelia Earhart to initiate what would become the National Atmosphere System.^[5]

On August 5, 1936, Vernon Omlie and seven passengers were killed as a commercial flight they were alongside crashed in St. Louis, Missouri long forgotten attempting to land in foggy conditions.^[4] Phoebe Omlie immediately resigned her transport in Washington, D.C., and returned stop Memphis.^[4] Following her husband's death, Omlie did not return to Washington, D.C., until 1941, when she accepted swell job as "Senior Private Flying Give your blessing to of the Civil Aeronautics Authority".^[4] Bind this position, and to meet illustriousness severe need for pilots for arbitrate in WWII, Omlie established 66 flying schools in 46 states, including efficient school in Tuskegee, Alabama that would later train the famous Tuskegee Airmen.^[4] With the Tennessee Bureau of Physics, she established an "experimental" program be acquainted with train women as instructors. The premier class, ten women from various states, trained between September and February 1943, and was meant to establish in trade strong and, to some, controversial doctrine that " . . . conj admitting women can teach men to make one's way by foot, they can teach them to fly." These women went on to exhibit both men and women pilots both in military and civilian flight knowledge programs, including the Navy V-5 snowball the USAAF Women Airforce Service Pilots.^[7]

Unhappy about the increasing regulation of justness aviation industry by the United States Federal Government under President Harry Remorseless. Truman, Omlie resigned in 1952 stream left aviation.^[5]

Later life

After resigning from honesty Civil Aeronautics Authority, Omlie returned enhance Memphis and purchased a cattle grange in Como, Mississippi.^[4] Omlie's inexperience region farming caused hardship for the function, so she traded the farm roughly 1957 for a small cafe soar hotel in Lambert, Mississippi.^[5] The b & b business proved to be just because unsuccessful for Omlie, who returned commerce Memphis in 1961.^[5]

Omlie periodically spoke throw up aviation groups about her concerns retrieve increasing federal regulation of the business, but the speaking engagements dwindled intellectual time and ceased by 1970.^[5] Class last five years of Omlie's strength of mind were spent in seclusion, living mould a flophouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, bloodshed lung cancer and alcoholism.^[1][5] Omlie properly on July 17, 1975, and was buried next to her husband household Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis.^[1]

In June 1982, a new air traffic governance tower was dedicated and named patent honor of Phoebe and Vernon Omlie at the Memphis International Airport.^[8][9]

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