359:. With the Tennessee Bureau of Aeronautics, she established an "experimental" program to train women as instructors. The first class, ten women from various states, trained between September and February 1943, and was meant to establish her strong and, to some, controversial belief that " . . . if women can teach men to walk, they can teach them to fly." These women went on to instruct both men and women pilots both in military and civilian flight training programs, including the Navy V-5 and the USAAF
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on
November 21, 1902, and was the only daughter of parents Harry J. Park and Madge Traister Park. After divorcing Harry Park, Madge married Andrew Fairgrave, who adopted her two children, Phoebe and Paul. Phoebe and her brother, Paul, attended Oak Park School in Des Moines until she was 12, when she
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and worked briefly as a secretary. Bored with the prospects, she began hanging around airfields near her home and attempted to convince the airport manager to allow one of his flight instructors to take her flying. The manager finally agreed, thinking that he could scare
Fairgrave's interest in
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Omlie periodically spoke to aviation groups about her concerns over increasing federal regulation of the industry, but the speaking engagements dwindled over time and ceased by 1970. The last five years of Omlie's life were spent in seclusion, living in a
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aviation position. In this role, Omlie acted as a "liaison between the
National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics and the Bureau of Air Commerce" alongside Amelia Earhart to create what would become the
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on the top wing". Using the stunts she had learned, Fairgrave claimed the record for the highest parachute jump for a woman by jumping from her plane at 15,200 ft (4,600 m) (
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During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Omlie set several world records in aviation, including the highest altitude parachute jump by a woman. She was also the first woman to cross the
139:(November 21, 1902 – July 17, 1975) was an American aviation pioneer, particularly noted for her accomplishments as an early female aviator. Omlie was the first woman to receive an
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254:. This was her first flight with Vernon C. Omlie, who would become her husband. Following the record setting jump, Fairgrave and Omlie flew around the country on a
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in 1928, Omlie set a world altitude record for women when she reached 25,400 ft (7,700 m) (MSL). That same year, Omlie competed in the
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and began offering flying lessons and mechanical services to local residents. A year later, in 1927, Phoebe became the first woman to receive an
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Still in her teens, Fairgrave started performing stunts on the wing of her aircraft as another pilot remained at the controls. Fairgrave began
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319:. After the successful campaign, Omlie was appointed by President Roosevelt as the "Special Adviser for Air Intelligence to the
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in an attempt to make her sick. Instead, Fairgrave demanded more flight time and used some of her inheritance to purchase a
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Unhappy about the increasing regulation of the aviation industry by the United States
Federal Government under President
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On August 5, 1936, Vernon Omlie and seven passengers were killed when a commercial flight they were aboard crashed in
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277:. While Vernon continued operating the business and working as a flight instructor, Phoebe began working for the
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and graduated in 1920. Fairgrave's interest in aviation was sparked the day before she graduated, when
President
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After resigning from the Civil
Aeronautics Authority, Omlie returned to Memphis and purchased a cattle farm in
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398:, fighting lung cancer and alcoholism. Omlie died on July 17, 1975, and was buried next to her husband in
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and became the first woman to cross the Rocky
Mountains in a light aircraft. Omlie later joined the
386:. The hotel business proved to be just as unsuccessful for Omlie, who returned to Memphis in 1961.
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while attempting to land in foggy conditions. Phoebe Omlie immediately resigned her position in
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to be one of "eleven women whose achievements make it safe to say the world is progressing".
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A bill to designate the control tower at
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Shortly after graduating high school, Fairgrave spent a few months at the
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visited
Minneapolis. President Wilson's visit was commemorated by a
645:"Phoebe and Vernon Omlie: From Barnstormers to Aviation Innovators"
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was dedicated and named in honor of Phoebe and Vernon Omlie at the
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490:. Denton, Texas: University of North Texas Press. pp.
245:) and earned a movie deal, flying aerobatic stunts for the
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Rickman, Sarah Byrn (March 2008). "Stretching Her Wings".
323:". This made her the first woman to be appointed to a
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Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II
533:. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. pp.
297:as a charter member after competing in a race with
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304:Omlie's success as a pilot was recognized by the
233:, learned to hang below the plane by her teeth,
712:"A legacy is secured and it only took 30 years"
186:. There, Fairgrave attended Madison School and
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770:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
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321:National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
215:aviation out of her by performing various
202:of any kind that Fairgrave had witnessed.
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599:"Aviation pioneer Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie"
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812:American women aviation record holders
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741:97th Congress (1981) (April 7, 1981).
453:. Des Moines Register. Archived from
258:tour and eventually married in 1922.
27:American aviation pioneer (1902–1975)
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351:in 46 states, including a school in
523:Jessen, Gene Nora (March 1, 2002).
832:Deaths from lung cancer in Indiana
710:Tallman, Jill (October 27, 2011).
597:Sherman, Janann (March 29, 2008).
355:that would later train the famous
177:Phoebe Jane Fairgrave was born in
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451:"Aviator Omlie soared to success"
449:Longden, Tom (February 7, 2009).
122:Numerous firsts as a female pilot
852:People from Lambert, Mississippi
807:American aviation record holders
668:"Phoebe Omlie and Her Monocoupe"
287:Quad City International Airport
643:Wilson, George T (June 2002).
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411:Memphis International Airport
361:Women Airforce Service Pilots
306:Democratic National Committee
261:In 1925, the Omlies moved to
847:People from Des Moines, Iowa
672:The Engines of Our Ingenuity
802:20th-century American women
647:. Aviation History Magazine
345:Civil Aeronautics Authority
267:airplane mechanic's license
212:Guy Durrell Dramatic School
141:airplane mechanic's license
137:Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie
18:Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie
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817:American aviation pioneers
317:1932 presidential campaign
407:air traffic control tower
226:after her fourth flight.
188:Mechanic Arts High School
41:
330:National Airspace System
182:and her family moved to
162:, and was considered by
281:. Flying the company's
269:, as well as the first
718:. AOPA. Archived from
685:Cooper, Ann L (1999).
601:. Woman Pilot Magazine
285:light aircraft out of
716:AOPA Reporting Points
396:Indianapolis, Indiana
313:Franklin D. Roosevelt
279:Mono Aircraft Company
251:The Perils of Pauline
88:Indianapolis, Indiana
55:Phoebe Jane Fairgrave
405:In June 1982, a new
400:Forest Hill Cemetery
384:Lambert, Mississippi
100:Forest Hill Cemetery
722:on November 4, 2016
674:. Houston. KUHF-FM.
337:St. Louis, Missouri
291:Edsel Ford Air Tour
217:aerobatic maneuvers
184:St. Paul, Minnesota
822:Aviators from Iowa
743:"H.R. 3072 (97th)"
687:How High She Flies
666:John H. Lienhard.
263:Memphis, Tennessee
198:and was the first
104:Memphis, Tennessee
501:978-1-57441-241-3
457:on April 23, 2009
380:Como, Mississippi
353:Tuskegee, Alabama
237:, and "dance the
167:Eleanor Roosevelt
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842:Wing walkers
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827:Barnstormers
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751:. Retrieved
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724:. Retrieved
720:the original
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295:Ninety-Nines
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221:Curtiss JN-4
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143:, the first
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130:Vernon Omlie
82:(1975-07-17)
36:Phoebe Omlie
29:
797:1975 deaths
792:1902 births
753:November 3,
747:Legislation
726:November 3,
247:film serial
111:Nationality
786:Categories
526:"Epilogue"
417:References
374:Later life
239:Charleston
173:Early life
164:First Lady
61:1902-11-21
510:173502734
392:flophouse
235:parachute
766:cite web
553:46918327
310:Governor
271:licensed
145:licensed
114:American
535:238–239
468:Alt URL
325:federal
273:female
224:biplane
200:airshow
196:flyover
147:female
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127:Spouse
106:, U.S.
90:, U.S.
71:, U.S.
494:–36.
158:in a
772:link
755:2016
728:2016
691:ISBN
653:2009
607:2009
549:OCLC
539:ISBN
506:OCLC
496:ISBN
463:2009
77:Died
51:Born
394:in
315:'s
243:MSL
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