Phoebe Omlie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phoebe Omlie
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | November 21, 1902 Des Moines, Iowa, US
|
| Died | July 17, 1975 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Numerous firsts as a female pilot |
| Spouse(s) | Vernon Omlie |
Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie (November 21, 1902 – July 17, 1975) was an amazing American aviation pioneer. She achieved many "firsts" for women in flying. Phoebe was the first woman to get an airplane mechanic's license. She was also the first licensed female transport pilot. This meant she could fly planes that carried passengers or cargo. Later, she became the first woman to hold a federal job in aviation.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Phoebe set several world records. This included the highest parachute jump by a woman. She was also the first woman to fly a light aircraft across the Rocky Mountains. Even First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt recognized her. Roosevelt called Phoebe one of the "eleven women whose achievements make it safe to say the world is progressing."
Contents
Early Life and First Flights
Phoebe Jane Fairgrave was born in Des Moines, Iowa on November 21, 1902. She was the only daughter of Harry J. Park and Madge Traister Park. After her parents divorced, her mother married Andrew Fairgrave. He adopted Phoebe and her brother, Paul.
Phoebe went to school in Des Moines until she was 12. Then, her family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. She finished high school there in 1920. Phoebe's interest in flying began just before she graduated. President Woodrow Wilson visited Minneapolis, and his visit included a special flyover. This was the first airshow Phoebe had ever seen, and it sparked her love for planes.
Learning to Fly and Stunt Work
After high school, Phoebe tried working as a secretary. But she found it boring. She started spending time at airfields, hoping to fly. An airport manager finally agreed to let an instructor take her up. He thought the instructor's fancy aerobatic maneuvers would scare her. Instead, Phoebe loved it and wanted more flight time!
She used some money she inherited to buy a Curtiss JN-4 biplane. She was still a teenager when she started performing stunts on the wing of her plane. Another pilot would fly while Phoebe did amazing tricks. She became a wing walker, hung below the plane by her teeth, and even "danced the Charleston on the top wing."
Phoebe used her stunts to set a record for the highest parachute jump by a woman. She jumped from her plane at 15,200 feet (about 4,630 meters). This amazing feat led to a movie deal! She flew aerobatic stunts for the film series The Perils of Pauline. This was her first flight with Vernon C. Omlie, who later became her husband. After her record jump, Phoebe and Vernon traveled the country. They performed in barnstorming shows and got married in 1922.
Pioneering Aviation Career
In 1925, the Omlies moved to Memphis, Tennessee. They started a business offering flying lessons and airplane repairs. A year later, in 1927, Phoebe made history. She became the first woman to get an airplane mechanic's license. She also became the first licensed female transport pilot.
While Vernon ran their business, Phoebe started working for the Mono Aircraft Company. In 1928, flying a Monocoupe 90 light aircraft, she set another world altitude record for women. She reached 25,400 feet (about 7,740 meters)! That same year, Phoebe competed in the Edsel Ford Air Tour. She became the first woman to fly a light aircraft across the Rocky Mountains. Phoebe later joined the Ninety-Nines, a group for women pilots, along with Amelia Earhart.
Working for the Government
Phoebe's success caught the attention of the Democratic National Committee. They asked her to fly a female speaker around the country. This was for Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 presidential campaign. After Roosevelt won the election, he appointed Phoebe to a special job. She became the "Special Adviser for Air Intelligence to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics." This made her the first woman to hold a federal aviation position. In this role, she worked with Amelia Earhart to help create what is now the National Airspace System.
On August 5, 1936, Phoebe faced a terrible loss. Her husband, Vernon Omlie, and seven passengers died in a plane crash in St. Louis, Missouri. The plane crashed while trying to land in foggy weather. Phoebe immediately resigned from her job in Washington, D.C., and returned to Memphis.
Phoebe did not return to Washington, D.C., until 1941. She took a new job as "Senior Private Flying Specialist of the Civil Aeronautics Authority." During World War II, there was a great need for pilots. Phoebe helped set up 66 flight schools in 46 states. One of these schools was in Tuskegee, Alabama. It later trained the famous Tuskegee Airmen.
Phoebe also started an "experimental" program in Tennessee. It trained women to become flight instructors. She strongly believed that "if women can teach men to walk, they can teach them to fly." The first group of ten women trained between September 1942 and February 1943. These women went on to teach both men and women pilots in military and civilian flight programs. This included the Women Airforce Service Pilots.
Later Years and Legacy
Phoebe Omlie resigned from her government job in 1952. She was unhappy with the increasing rules placed on the aviation industry by the government. She then left aviation.
After leaving her job, Phoebe returned to Memphis. She bought a cattle farm in Como, Mississippi. Farming was difficult for her, so she traded the farm in 1957 for a small cafe and hotel. This business also did not do well, and she returned to Memphis in 1961.
Phoebe sometimes spoke to aviation groups about her concerns. But her public appearances became less frequent. She spent her last five years living quietly in Indianapolis, Indiana. Phoebe Omlie passed away on July 17, 1975. She was buried next to her husband.
In June 1982, a new air traffic control tower at the Memphis International Airport was named in honor of Phoebe and Vernon Omlie.
