Indiana Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Inc.
Margaret Jane Ringenberg, 1921-2008
Margaret Jane Ringenberg died peacefully in her sleep early Monday morning, July 28, 2008. She was 87 years old, had flown around the world, but had never lived outside Allen County, Indiana. Her passing was reported by the Associated Press as well as other national and local media, a tribute to the fact that Margaret was not your typical 87 year-old woman. In fact, Tom Brokaw devoted a whole chapter to Margaret Ringenberg in his highly acclaimed book, “THE GREATEST GENERATION”.
Margaret was a wife, mother, and grandmother, but first of all she was a pilot, and not an ordinary one, either. While she started out with the usual fascination for flying that many kids experience, Margaret never got over it. In fact, her interest in and love for flying led her to become a pilot in an era when it was not considered acceptable for girls to fly. She later wrote a book, “GIRLS CAN’T BE PILOTS”, to dispel such a ridiculous notion.
When the call went out during WWII for licensed women pilots to join in the war effort, Margaret responded and in 1943 became a member of the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). These were the women who test flew and ferried every type of airplane manufactured during WWII. After the war, Margaret became a Flight Instructor and corporate pilot, accumulating over 40,000 hours of flight time.
While I could fill pages with Margaret Ringenberg’s achievements, honors, and awards, they would reflect only part of who she was. It was the personal stories about her that I found to be special, including this one:
It was 1945 when she received a call from a local radio station in Fort Wayne, telling her that it looked like Japan was about to surrender. Since the local newspaper was on strike, they suggested a “news drop” and quickly printed up thousands of leaflets with the news of the impending surrender. They hired Margaret to release them over Fort Wayne. She said she flew right down Main Street, very low, even below the tops of some buildings, papering the town with news of the war’s ending.
Margaret had a reputation for being one of the fiercest competitors in air racing. And, one of the very best. The story goes that, if you were a first-time air racer, Margaret would take you under her wing and teach you the art of air racing. She even became known among novice racers as “Mother Bird”. However, once you became an experienced and seasoned competitor, look out! She would not give away even the smallest hint that might help you to beat her!
In 1994 at the age of 72, Margaret competed in an around-the-world-air –race, spending 24 days in a small, twin-engine airplane and over a hundred hours in the air. She didn’t win, but then she didn’t do it for the trophy. She had plenty of those already! Margaret’s final air race was this year’s annual AIR RACE CLASSIC in June. She came in third.
I think one of Margaret’s most rewarding roles in aviation must have been teaching others to fly. She always sought out the students who were having the most difficulty with the learning process; the ones no other instructor wanted. Those are the ones who will not forget her.
I knew Margaret personally, even raced with her once in Michigan, and I enjoyed her friendship. She was a member of the Indiana Chapter of Ninety-Nines, to which I also belong. About eight years ago we traded favors when she asked me to write a nomination letter for her for an award, and I asked her to drive down from Ft. Wayne and speak to a meeting of the Bald Eagles. Harry McCawley later wrote a beautiful column about Margaret and that meeting.
Margaret “flew to New Horizons” while attending the annual EAA event in Oshkosh, WI, where most of the aviation world gathers every year. She would have liked that, to go out surrounded by those who share her love and passion for flying, and to end her time on a high note.
Margaret Ringenberg, farm girl from Indiana, left a legacy of devotion to the aviation world, and a long list of achievements that will lead and inspire countless others….especially women….into a future she helped make possible.
I salute you, my friend, and wish for you a gentle landing.
Nancy W.