Jeana Yeager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeana Yeager
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Yeager in 1986 in front of Voyager
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| Born | May 18, 1952 |
| Spouse(s) | Jon A. Farrar (1971–1976) William Z. Williams (1992–1994) Dale A. Rinehart (1994–1996) |
| Awards | Presidential Citizens Medal Harmon Trophy FAI De la Vaulx Medal Collier Trophy Edward Longstreth Medal |
| Aviation career | |
| Famous flights | The first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world with Dick Rutan |
| Flight license | 1978 |
Jeana Lee Yeager (born May 18, 1952) is an American aviator. An aviator is someone who flies an aircraft. She is famous for co-piloting the first non-stop flight around the world. This amazing flight happened without stopping or refueling.
She flew with Dick Rutan in an airplane called the Rutan Voyager. The flight took place from December 14 to 23, 1986. It lasted 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. They traveled 24,986 miles (40,211 km). This distance almost doubled the old flight record.
Early Life and Flying Career
Jeana Lee Yeager was born on May 18, 1952. Her hometown was Fort Worth, Texas. As a child, her family moved often. They lived in places like Garland, Texas, and Oxnard, California.
After high school, Jeana worked as a draftsman and surveyor. This means she helped draw maps and measure land. She worked for a company that studied geothermal energy. In 1978, when she was 26, Jeana got her private pilot's license. This allowed her to fly airplanes for fun.
Jeana also worked with Robert Truax. He was working on a spacecraft that could be used many times. In 1980, she met Dick Rutan. They soon started setting new distance records together. They flew planes like the Rutan VariEze and Rutan Long-EZ. These planes were designed by Dick's brother, Burt Rutan.
In 1982, Jeana set a new speed record for women. She flew 2,000 kilometers in a closed course. Later, in 1984, she set an open-distance record. She flew 2,427.1 miles in the VariEze plane.
Even though they have the same last name, Jeana Yeager is not related to the famous test pilot General Chuck Yeager.
Flying Around the World
Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan decided to try something incredible. They wanted to fly an airplane around the world without stopping or refueling. To do this, they created a company called Voyager Aircraft, Inc. Burt Rutan then started designing the special airplane for this journey.
At first, they couldn't find a big company to sponsor them. So, Jeana started a program called Voyager Impressive People (VIP). This program helped raise most of the money. The money was used to build, test, and fly the aircraft.
By the middle of 1986, the Voyager airplane was ready. Jeana flew as the co-pilot on the historic flight. The flight lasted 216 hours. They successfully set a new world absolute distance record. This was also the first time a woman was listed in an absolute category for aviation records.
Awards and Recognition
After the amazing 1986 Voyager flight, Jeana Yeager received many awards. These awards recognized her incredible achievement.
Some of her top awards include:
- The Harmon Trophy
- The National Air and Space Museum Trophy (NASM)
- The FAI De la Vaulx Medal
- The Presidential Citizens Medal from President Ronald Reagan
- The Collier Trophy
Jeana was the first woman to receive the Collier Trophy. She shared many of these awards with Dick and Burt Rutan. She also shared the 1985 Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) Jack Northrop Award. In 1987, she shared the SETP Iven C. Kincheloe Award with Dick Rutan. In 1988, she received the Edward Longstreth Medal.
In 2013, Flying Magazine ranked Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan. They were listed as No. 33 on their list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation.
