AMA Foundation Board Member
I started flying model airplanes when I was five years old with a Firebaby U-control. When I was seven, my dad applied for my AMA license as I was entered in several local U-control contests in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Cleveland was very active with Free Flight flyers, many of whom were family friends who eventually became AMA and NFFS Hall of Fame members.
As a youngster, I flew simple balsa gliders, rubber-powered indoor models, and progressed to gas-powered Free Flight models. My dad designed a Free Flight gas model called Weiser in 1957. The builder of the model rule existed at that time, so if one was to fly a model in a contest, they were expected to be the builder of the model. I built many types of models, both indoor and outdoor Free Flight (glider, rubber, gas) for competition. Contests were on Sundays, with the rest of the week spent repairing, building, and testing new or repaired models for the next contest. The AMA Nationals were our family vacations. We traveled to them for many years, both the ones sponsored by the U.S. Navy and thereafter. The year I won A-1 Towline Glider was the year the Navy sponsored a trip on an aircraft carrier in Pensacola, Florida, for Junior and Senior first-place winners. The Navy didn’t expect a girl to win at the Nats which created a few logistics issues like housing and restrooms for the 3-day trip.
I did well in math and science and took flying lessons, soloing on my 16th birthday. I took an occupational aptitude test in the eighth grade suggesting engineering, so I targeted that occupation, as airline pilot and the service academies were closed to women at the time.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering and was hired by NASA, where I later completed a master’s degree in engineering science. I spent 46 years at NASA as an aerospace engineer and project manager for aerospace propulsion systems. A few years after retiring from NASA, I was hired part time by a company overseeing a military propulsion contract.
I am a life member of AMA and purchased a brick on the Walk of Fame—early steps in giving back to the hobby that has shaped my career and life.
Through model aviation, I have gained decades of friendship, competition experience, and opportunities to support STEM outreach. I look forward to serving on the AMA Foundation Board and helping expand the opportunities, resources, and services that will keep AMA strong and resilient for future generations.
