Great Women in Aviation #5 - Connie Engle – First Woman to Earn U.S. Air Force Pilot Wings

These short biographies in the Great Women in Aviation series tell the stories of notable women pilots whose passion for flight inspires young and old alike to take to the skies. This approximately 2000 word monograph is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Connie Engle’s life, but it discusses her involvement for aviation. The main purpose of this biography is to inspire youth to follow their dreams of flight.

When the Air Force opened pilot training to women, in 1976, Connie Engel became the first woman in her class of ten to earn her wings. She began her Air Force career as a nurse and originally had no intention of going into aviation. There may have been some subtle influences working; Connie’s father was an Air Force pilot, and her husband, Rich, also an Air Force pilot, worked on the project coordinating the first class of women pilots. The two became involved in the planning and one thing led to another. Connie did not feel she was growing in her career, and her husband encouraged her to apply for flight school.