Wally Funk
"You
can go anywhere you want…just apply yourself"
- Wally Funk
Wally Funk was one of the Mercury 13 who volunteered for the "Women in Space" Program. Although she scored higher than some of the Mercury Seven astronauts, she never flew in space.
Ms. Funk, however, has managed to keep herself very busy on Planet Earth. As a professional flight instructor with over 14,000 hours, she has flown with thousands of students and pilots.
She was the first woman to complete the FAA General Aviation Operations Inspector Academy Course. In 1973, she was the first woman to be promoted to FAA Systems Worthiness Analysis Program as a specialist. The next year she became one of the first women Air Safety Inspectors for the National Transportation Safety Board.