She had been fascinated by planes since she was a child, and got her pilot's license as a teenager. She was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Agency inspector, as well as one of the Mercury 13.[3][4]. Funk told The Guardian in 2002 she learned to fly at 16 after developing an early fascination in flight. It was 1961, and at the age of 22, Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk was the youngest of a group of 13 elite women pilots selected to undergo the same series of medical and psychological tests given to. Wally Funk has spent her life in pursuit of a dream. "It was never a NASA project, it was really a privately funded investigation into women's physical capabilities for spaceflight," Weitekamp said. I knew then that I wanted to fly for the rest of my life.. "She said, 'I've waited a lifetime, honey,' and then she said, 'I'm going up for all of us.'". Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty ImagesWally Funk pictured at a ceremony in Las Cruces, New Mexico for the first landing of the Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise, October 22, 2010. NASAJerrie Cobb poses next to a Mercury space capsule. Picture Courtesy of Tech. According to Space.com, the women were named after Mercury 7, a group of seven male astronauts chosen by NASA for the Mercury program. Find out more about this inspiring pilot and space pioneer in this website and her memoir, Higher, Faster, Longer. While attending OSU, she also earned her Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Land, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, and Flight instructors and all Ground Instructors ratings. She was joined in space by the 18-year-old Oliver Daemon. Funk, already an accomplished pilot in her early 20s, learned about the project in 1960 when she read about Jerrie Cobb, a female pilot who volunteered to undergo tests meant to determine whether a human body could withstand the strain of spaceflight. NASA required astronauts to hold an engineering degree. She was the keynote speaker for the United States at the World Aviation Education and Safety Congress in 1986. And in 1995, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a shuttle mission. [5][19][20] During the successful flight Funk, at age 82, became the oldest person to fly to space, exceeding John Glenn's record at the age of 77 in 1998 (aboard STS-95). To convince NASA, Wally knew she would need to outlast the Mercury astronauts. Since then, she has logged 19,600 flight hours across her career. Wally Funk Is Defying Gravity and 60 Years of Exclusion From Space. "Wally Funk has really never given up on her dream of spaceflight," Margaret Weitekamp, curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's space history department who wrote a book about the women who lobbied to be included in NASA's astronaut program, told Space.com. The researchers also shot ice water into Wallys ears to induce vertigo. Across the board, the women who passed that initial round of testing did as well or better than their male counterparts, and of that group, Ms. Funk excelled. During the course, Wally learned Flight Testing procedures and handling accidents and violations, the course also included Pilot Certification. Funk became a professional aviator at the age of 20. Wally Funks performance was considered the third-best in the Mercury 13 program. Wally Funk in an undated photo provided by Blue Origin. Also in 2022, The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum awarded its Michael Collins Trophy to Funk for Lifetime Achievement. Funk was 22 years old when she joined Lovelace's program, the youngest of the group. Funk, whose full name is Mary Wallace Funk, was invited to be a crew member on the New Shepards first manned space flight at age 82. They sent me right into college and right into flying., Mrs. Funk, your daughters not doing too well in her subjects. [9] In 1986, she was the key speaker for the US at The World Aviation Education and Safety Congress. I first flew in a plane at eight, and by the age of 10 I had mother drive me out to an airstrip to study the planes parked there, Funk told The Guardian. When she applied to become a commercial pilot at TWA and Continental, she was turned down because they didnt have a ladys bathroom at the training facility, she told The Guardian. Later, she traveled to Nevada, Arizona, and California, where she inspected flight schools and air taxi operations. Youve probably heard of Wally Funk, the oldest person to set foot in space. On July 1, 2021, Jeff Bezos announced through an Instagram post that Wally Funk would be part of a four-person crew set to be launched into space by Blue Origin on July 20, 2021. Wally Funk is a pioneer American aviator who, at the age of 21, was the youngest member of the Mercury 13 program, a privately funded project in the 1960s that meant to see how women held up to the pressures of spaceflight. Do you have an airport? [4], Funk was also an accomplished outdoorswoman, spending time riding her bike or her horse, skiing, hunting, and fishing. She said, When I was sent to Stephens College aviation program, I hadnt even graduated from High School yet. He will join Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, and Wally Funk aboard the first human flight on July 20. After going through the article, Wally Funk decided that she would also pass these tests. In her senior year of college, when she earned a trophy recognizing her as the most outstanding pilot, the airport manager gave it to her said, Mark my words, if ever a woman flies into space, it will be Wally, or one of her students.. On June 23, 1975, in response to Mrs. Gerald Fords request, Wally Funk joined a luncheon at the White House in Washington, D.C. Wally Funk is also known for participating in air races, and she has successfully competed in many prominent womens air races including Powder Puff Derbys 25th Annual Race in which she stood 8th, Pacific Air Race in which she was placed 6th, and Palms to Pines Air Race in which she stood 8th. They became known as the Mercury 13. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Funk was one of the Mercury 13, a group of 13 women. I was brought up that when things dont work out, you go to your alternative, she said. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The article was called, A Lady Proves That Shes Fit for Space Flight.. While Funks mission to become one of the first female astronauts in space was thwarted, her flight made history. A few months after passing the first round, Wally traveled to Oklahoma City for round two. According to Funk, while she was studying at Stephens College, her scores were not brilliant, and she was rather interested in flying. Funk has been chief pilot for five aviation schools across the country. According to Mr. Bezos, he chose the date to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Wally dropped everything and rushed to Albuquerque. On February 8, 1995, NBCs Dateline aired an interview with Wally Funk, one of the original thirteen female astronaut candidates. ! pic.twitter.com/vhGaMqqjnZ, Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) July 17, 2021. Wally says. She will join the youngest person in space, Oliver Daemon, 18. Wally wanted to prove that women could become astronauts in an era before NASA accepted female trainees. I saw there was an old-boys network, but my philosophy has always been to get over it, and move on., Nearly 60 years after passing her astronaut test, 82-year-old Wally Funk is finally going to space pic.twitter.com/ghXDieXwYh. [6]HITC jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); In an interview, she talked about her marital status. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983, although it wasn't until 1995 that NASA made Eileen Collins the first female pilot of the space shuttle. According to CNBC, Blue Origin, the company founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the worlds richest man, and Amazons CEO, has been testing flights of its New Shepard rocket for years. She said. ', READ NEXT: Oliver Daeman: Meet the 18-Year-Old Who Is Going to Space, Wally Funk: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She received the "Outstanding Female Pilot" trophy, the "Flying Aggie Top Pilot" and the "Alfred Alder Memorial Trophy" two years in succession. There are many books and movies that acknowledge Wally Funk's place in the history of the space program, such as Martha Ackmann's . Some of those women see Ms. Funk as a personal hero who broke down gender barriers, and they hope she will again become an example to women and girls. While at OSU, Funk was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, Gamma Epsilon chapter. Wally FunkWally Funk next to a glide plane, c. 1960. On Tuesday, Wally Funk (second from right) stood with other crew members in front of the Blue Origin rocket after their launch from the spaceport near Van Horn, Texas. "I didn't think that I would ever get to go up. Picture Courtesy of Sgt Jack Pritchard RAF Wikimedia Commons. (Collins invited Funk and others who underwent Lovelace's tests to watch the launch. Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, Associate of Arts degree from Stephens College, Riding Bike, Horse Riding, Hunting, Fishing. [10] Frustrated, Funk left high school early at the age of 16 and entered Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. With 19,600 hours of flight time, Wally Funk has taught more than 3,000 people to fly, and she has also trained thousands of Private, Commercial, Multi-engine, Seaplane, Glider, Instrument, CFI, Al and Air Transport Pilots. In 1961, Funk was among a group of . Wally Funk is finally going to space. A pilot gave Wally Funk her first flying lesson at age nine, letting her help steer the plane and telling her parents she did a great job. According to Wally Funk, while she was undergoing her flying training at Stephens College, she would often pick up her parents while flying around the countryside as she was required to do 100 miles of flying. Follow her on Twitter at @meghanbartels. In the same year, Wally was interviewed on the Mike Douglas Television Show. In the fall of 1975, Wally Funks interview was aired on Salute of Women In Aviation, a Gene Burkes television program. Funk told The Guardian in 2002 that she learned to fly at the age of 16 after developing an early interest in flight. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Wally Funk. And, of course, whereas the Mercury 7 became celebrities and spent the bulk of their careers with NASA, the women found other ways to fill their time. Funk once stated that she has never married and is married to airplanes. She stated in the interview that she had no resentment about being barred from spaceflight. Weitekamp also published a book on Mercury 13. Finally, the researchers pulled Wally from the tank as the pilot promised she could go longer. Her interview on the Mike Douglas Television Show took place the same year. "I just got a lump in my throat and tears welled up." Soon, Wally Funk was inducted into the Woman in Space Program for which she traveled to Albuquerque, where she underwent five and a half days of rigorous tasks and intrusive examinations during which she had to ingest radioactive material and pour icy water into her ears; these tests were almost similar to the tests taken by male astronauts of Mercury 7, NASAs first successful human space mission. Funk continues to hold the record for the oldest woman to travel to space. I go right to the wheel and I try to turn the nut, Wally said. Ultimately, Wally and twelve other women passed the same tests used by NASAs male astronauts. Wally Funk has appeared on various television and radio programs, giving interviews and interacting with professionals. Funk went into them with a competitive streak. The Real Wally Funk. Funk contacted Lovelace, detailing her experience and achievements. Ms. Funk's trip to space with Jeff Bezos is reason to celebrate. . In 2017, Wally Funk's name was inscribed on the Smithsonian. At an early age, Wally Funk was fascinated by flying, and the interest developed at such an early age that according to Funk, she cant remember a time when she wasnt fascinated by flying. In 1970, after receiving the Commercial Glider Rating, she joined Redondo High School in California, where she taught five Aeronautical Science classes. Wally believes that it was her parents encouragement that made her feel she could do anything she wanted. She joined Space.com in July 2018, with previous writing published in outlets including Newsweek and Audubon. In 1961, pilot Wally Funk donned a one-piece bathing suit and entered a pitch black isolation tank. [13] She made the discovery that people who die in small-plane crashes often have their jewelry, shoes, and clothes stripped off by the impact. [3]Huck Magazine jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); Wally talked about this in an interview. Oliver Daemen, at 18 years old, and Wally Funk, at 82 years old, is the youngest and oldest astronauts to have traveled to space. While Wally Funk was undergoing her flying training at Oklahoma State University (OSU), she received the Outstanding Female Pilot trophy, the Flying Aggie Top Pilot and the Alfred Alder Memorial Trophy two years in succession. She stood second in the Palms to Pines All Women Air Race that took place from Santa Monica, California to Independence, Oregon on August 16, 1975. As we move forward into the world where commercial spaceflight offers opportunities to go based, not on skills, but on the amount of money in ones wallet, we will have to continue to ask the question: Who is space is really for? This is Carol Butler, and I'm doing an oral history for the NASA History Office, with Wally Funk, retired NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] investigator, senior flight instructor, chief pilot, wonderful woman of aerospace. Additionally. Jul 1, 2021, 7:01 AM PDT. Including her on this flight is a nice bit of poetic justice.. In an interview, while talking about this, she said that once her adviser called up her mother and said. 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