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Heather is flying her yellow, 1973 Citabria 7 ECA with 115 horse power. The Citabria is a light single-engine airplane which entered production in the United States in 1964. Designed for flight training, utility, and personal use, it is capable of sustaining aerobatic stresses from +5g to –2g. Its name, “airbatic” spelled backward, reflects this. When the Citabria was introduced, it was the only airplane being commercially produced in the US which was certified for aerobatics. Heather started flying in 2002 in a Cessna 150. Her first flight instructor became her husband! Her father is a private pilot and she inherited her love of airplanes and flying from him. She has a Cessna 172 in the Plus One Flying Club at Ramona Airport and she and her husband own a classic 1952 Cessna 195, in addition to her Citabria. She works for ARINC Direct and does RVSM height monitoring flights in private and corporate aircraft. She has over 80 flights in new Gulfstream G550’s! She loves flying tailwheel aircraft! She is the current Chairman of the San Diego 99s and hopes to inspire women of all ages to learn to fly.
|  | | Tracy is flying in her yellow, 1950’s Beech T-34 Mentor with 285 horse power. The T-34 was originally conceived by Walter Beech. The first prototype flew in 1949. Beech envisioned a versatile military trainer that would replace the fleet of aging T-6 Air Force and SNJ Navy aircraft used extensively throughout the World War II era. When the Air Force announced the competition, the YT-34 was ready to assume the role. A fly-off battle with the Tempco Plebe YT-35 and the Fairchild YT-31, left only the T-34 standing, and, with some modifications to the prototype, the Air Force placed an order with Beechcraft for more than six hundred Mentors. Not long after that, the Navy placed an order for more than seven-hundred. Tracy started flying in 1996 at the North Island navy flying club in Coronado. She has been a member of the San Diego chapter of the 99s for 2 years and is presently the online newsletter editor. She enjoys flying formation with her husband and other T-34 owners. |  | | Fran is flying her white and red, 1966 Piper Comanche 260-B with 260 horse power. She has been flying for almost 70 years and is an Airline Transport Pilot- Airplane Multi Engine Land; Commercial Pilot- Airplane Single Engine Land & Sea and Rotorcraft Helicopter; Flight Instructor- Airplane Single & Multi Engine, Helicopter and Instrument Airplane plus a Lighter-Than-Air Free Balloon pilot. She got a Citation Jet type rating for her 70th birthday and has logged well over 24,000 hours to date! Since moving to California in 1950, her hobby has been air racing. She has set an unequaled record as a seven time winner of the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race, placed second five times and has placed in the International Women's Air Race, the Reno National Air Races and many other speed races, including the Great Race from London, England, to Victoria, British Columbia. She has held the world altitude record for class C-1-d for 32 years, since establishing it in June 1966 at Long Beach, California. She joined the 99s in 1948 and has held a variety of positions in various chapters. |  | Natasha is a flying a white and blue, 1976 Piper Warrior 161, with 160 horse power. Natasha joined the San Diego Chapter of the Ninety-Nines and earned her private pilot license in September '08. She is working on her instrument rating and commercial certificate. She has studied atmospheric science through Mississippi State University's online broadcast meteorology program. After a few grueling years, she earned the AMS (American Meteorological Society) seal of approval. In addition to forecasting weather, and being the early morning meteorologist for New 8, Natasha co-founded and produced an environmental news series at KFMB called Earth 8, bringing oceanography and wildlife home to the viewer. The Earth 8 crew was nominated for an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter. Away from TV, you'll find Natasha flying the skies of San Diego or diving in the giant kelp tank at Birch Aquarium at Scripps. She promotes ocean conservation underwater with the use of a communications mask.
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