Wally is a human dynamo. Her contributions to aviation have earned her countless honors and praise as a trailblazer. As a professional flight instructor and goodwill flying ambassador, her place in history is inevitable. She is simply indefatigable and her presence indelible.
Flying professionally since the age of twenty, Wally has accumulated over 18,500 hours of flying time. Her role as a professional flight instructor is equally impressive. To date, she has soloed over 1,000 students and put through thousands of Private, Commercial, Multi-Engine, Seaplane, Glider, Instrument, CFI and Air Transport pilots.
In 1961, Wally volunteered for the Women in Space program with aspirations of becoming an astronaut. Her dream coincided perfectly with America’s hope for launching the first woman into space. Twenty-five women were selected to undergo a series of grueling physical and mental tests. The tests were conducted in three phases and included swallowing three feet of rubber hose, drinking a pint of radioactive water, enduring sensory deprivation conditions in an isolation tank (Wally spent a record 10 hours and 35 minutes in the tank without hallucinating, but admits to sneeking a few naps!), passing the altitude chamber and seat ejection tests.
Not only did Wally pass the tests, becoming one of 13 qualified candidates (now known as the Mercury 13), she rated third among her group and scored higher than astronaut John Glenn. Hours before the women were to undergo the final round of testing, NASA refused to authorize the completion of the tests, fearing such an action might be construed as approval of female astronauts. Amid brewing controversy and charges of sexual discrimination, the Mercury 13 program ended abruptly and without explanation.
Wally remained optimistic and forged ahead. She undertook an extensive three-year goodwill flying tour, traveling over 80,000 miles to Russia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. After returning to the U.S., Wally received the FAA Gold Seal as a Flight Instructor. In 1971 she was the first woman to complete the FAA General Aviation Operations Inspector Academy course. Four years later she became the National Transportaion Safety Board’s first female Air Safety Investigator. As a strong proponent of safety, Wally continues to share her expertise through seminars and lectures all over the world. She has traveled with special delegations to India and China to exchange ideas and information relating to aviation. She has been preparing for a trip into space in with Space Adventures, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Throughout her career, Wally has drawn upon an image from home to rekindle her spirit: the majestic Taos Mountain in New Mexico. Its uncompomising strength and integrity represent endurance, peace and ultimately, freedom. Wally is a genuine soul whose boundless energy originates from the purest wellspring on earth: love.
