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. She is famous for being the co-pilot on the first non-stop flight around the world without refueling. This amazing flight happened from December 14 to 23, 1986.
Jeana Yeager flew with Dick Rutan in an airplane called the Rutan Voyager. The flight lasted 9 days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. They traveled 24,986 miles (40,211 km). This journey almost doubled the old distance record for airplanes.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming a Pilot
Jeana Lee Yeager was born on May 18, 1952, in Fort Worth, Texas. As a child, she lived in different towns in Texas and California. After finishing high school, she worked as a draftsman and surveyor. This job involved drawing plans and measuring land.
In 1978, when she was 26 years old, Jeana got her private pilot's license. This meant she could fly airplanes on her own.
Setting Flight Records
Jeana Yeager met another pilot, Dick Rutan, in 1980. Together, they started setting new distance records. They flew in 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 also set an open-distance record in 1984. This record was for flying 2,427.1 miles without stopping.
It's interesting to know that even though they share 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 around the world without stopping or refueling. To do this, they created a company called Voyager Aircraft, Inc. Burt Rutan then began designing a 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 needed to build, test, and fly the Voyager airplane.
By the middle of 1986, the Voyager was ready for its historic flight. Jeana Yeager was the co-pilot for the entire 216-hour journey. When they completed the flight, she set a world absolute distance record. This was a huge achievement. It was 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 important awards. These awards recognized her incredible achievement.
- She received the Harmon Trophy and the National Air and Space Museum Trophy.
- She was given the FAI De la Vaulx Medal.
- President Ronald Reagan presented her with the Presidential Citizens Medal.
- She also received the Collier Trophy, becoming the first woman to ever get this award.
Jeana shared many of these awards with Dick and Burt Rutan. She also received the Edward Longstreth Medal in 1988. In 2013, Flying Magazine listed Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan as No. 33 on their list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation. This shows how important their flight was in aviation history.
