1996 Pioneer Hall of Fame

Lorna DeBlicquy

Lorna DeBlicquy wrote a guest editorial in 1974 in Canadian Flight protesting the discrimination against women pilots by Crown Corporation Air Transit. The article attracted national comment in the media and contributed to the improved climate which now ensures women a place in the cockpits of Canada's major airlines. When Canada endorsed ICAO's position that pregnancy is a disease, and thus automatically downgraded a pilot's medical category, DeBlicquy served on a Canadian committee on pregnancy related to pilots' medical standards. As a result, some leniency on the loss of a category I medical classification during pregnancy has been granted to working women pilots. She has a total of 10,000 flying hours, more than half of them earned through flight instructing. She earned licenses for private glider, commercial helicopter, and single, multi, land, sea, DC-3 and Canadian Airline Transport Canada as the first female Civil Aviation Flight Test Inspector.

Audrey Poberezny

Audrey Poberezny has played an active role in the formation, administration and operation of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Poberezny has been instrumental in helping the organization grow from a local club for amateur aircraft builders into an international organization that embraces virtually the entire spectrum of sport aviation. Her unique contributions continue today as she plays an integral role in EAA's annual AirVenture.

The Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees

The Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees (as the 13 aviators later became known) were sworn to secrecy about astronaut candidate testing they underwent in 1961 in New Mexico. They went through a week of medical tests--the same tests performed on the Mercury Seven astronauts. The women met the selection criteria of under 35 years of age, good health, a second-class medical, a four-year college degree, a commercial license or better, and all had over 2,000 hours of flying time. However, they were not selected as astronaut candidates. The trainees were K. Cagle, Jerrie Cobb, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Wally Funk, Jane Hart, Jean Hixson, Gene Nora Jessen, Irene Leverton, Sarah Ratley, B. Steadman, Jerri Truhill and Rhea Woltman.

Dr. Sheila Widnall

Dr. Sheila Widnall served as the first female Secretary of the Air Force from 1993 to 1997. She was responsible for and had the authority to conduct all Department of the Air Force matters that include recruiting, organizing, training, administration, logistical support, maintenance and welfare of personnel. Dr. Widnall also served as a faculty member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 28 years and became an associate provost at the university in 1992. A professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, she is internationally known for her work in fluid dynamics, specifically in the areas of aircraft turbulence and the spiraling airflow, called vortices, created by helicopters.