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| Jeana Yeager | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jeana Yeager |
| Birth date | 1952-03-11 |
| Birth place | Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Occupation | Aviator, engineer |
| Known for | Co-pilot and co-design team member of the Rutan Voyager |
Jeana Yeager Jeana Yeager (born March 11, 1952) is an American aviator and engineer best known for co-piloting the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world with pilot and designer Burt Rutan in the Rutan Voyager. Her career intersects with notable figures and institutions in aeronautics, aerospace engineering, and aviation history, and her flight had global impact on records and organizations.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Yeager grew up in a period shaped by the spaceflight era symbolized by Project Mercury, Apollo program, and the activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She attended schools in Texas and later pursued aviation interests that led her into associations with experimental aircraft communities connected to locations such as Mojave Air and Space Port and institutions like the Experimental Aircraft Association and General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Influences during her formative years included prominent aviators and aerospace engineers linked to Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, and the legacy of designers such as Kelly Johnson and Howard Hughes.
Yeager's aviation career developed through hands-on experience with light aircraft, experimental prototypes, and collaborations with designers and engineers from organizations like Scaled Composites, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and Civil Air Patrol. She worked alongside figures associated with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and trained in environments where innovations from Wright brothers-inspired aviation history and contemporary programs at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong Flight Research Center) converged. Her practical skills in piloting, navigation, and aircraft testing connected her to communities centered on air racing, aerobatics, and composite construction techniques developed by teams at Skunk Works, Sikorsky, and academic programs at institutions such as California Institute of Technology and Stanford University.
Yeager is best known for her role as co-pilot and project participant in the Rutan Voyager program, led by designer Burt Rutan and built by Scaled Composites at facilities with ties to Mojave Air and Space Port. The Voyager, sponsored by supporters and linked to aviation media like Flight International and Aviation Week & Space Technology, completed the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world departing and arriving at Reno–Tahoe International Airport after a flight that engaged global airspace overseen by authorities including the Federal Aviation Administration and international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization. The flight broke long-standing records previously recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and followed earlier milestones like Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight and Amelia Earhart's long-distance attempts. During the mission, Yeager and Rutan navigated challenges involving meteorological systems monitored by services like the National Weather Service and relied on avionics and engineering approaches influenced by research from NASA, DARPA, and aerospace firms including Honeywell and GE Aviation.
After the Voyager flight, Yeager remained active in aviation communities such as the Experimental Aircraft Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and advocacy circles intersecting with organizations like Women in Aviation International and Ninety-Nines. She engaged with educational outreach tied to museums and institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, and regional museums connected to aviation heritage like the Frontiers of Flight Museum and Pima Air & Space Museum. Yeager participated in public discussions and appearances alongside figures from aviation journalism and book authors collaborating with publishers that have covered aerospace topics, and she supported initiatives related to flight safety, preservation of historic aircraft, and outreach to programs at universities such as Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Yeager's personal life has been private but intersects with communities of pilots, engineers, and organizations in Southern California and Nevada where experimental aviation and aerospace development are concentrated, including Mojave Air and Space Port and aerospace firms like Scaled Composites and Northrop Grumman. She has appeared at public events, symposiums, and ceremonies alongside contemporaries such as Burt Rutan and members of record-keeping bodies like the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and representatives from the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
Yeager's contributions to aviation have been recognized by awards and honors from institutions and organizations such as the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, Guinness World Records, the National Air and Space Museum, and aviation groups including the Aviation Hall of Fame and regional halls of fame. The Voyager flight earned international acclaim and placed Yeager among lists of notable aviators often discussed alongside Burt Rutan, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and other record-setting pilots, with commemorations at events like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and exhibits in museums such as the Smithsonian Institution.
Category:American aviators Category:Female aviators