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When it comes to stories of
espionage and intrigue,
Hollywood rarely casts a sister
in the starring role. But in
real life one Black woman has
accomplished what once seemed
like mission impossible: Last
October Major Merryl (David)
Tengesdal became the first Black female pilot of a U-2--the
legendary stealth planes the
U.S. Air Force deploys for risky reconnaissance missions, such as
identifying terrorist activities in foreign
countries.
Tengesdal, a former naval officer,
is one of only five women and three African-Americans to be
accepted into the Air Force's
elite First Squadron, where U-2 pilots get their training. Now
she'll have to withstand the
pressure--literally. Solo
flights can exceed 70,000 feet
and last nine hours, and U-2s, with their tremendous wingspan,
are one of the toughest crafts
to land.
But Tengesdal has had her sights
set high since childhood. Growing up in The Bronx, New York, the
Star Trek fan dreamed of being an astronaut. Since then she has
boasted an impressive flying
career, operating combat
helicopters and airplanes for
the Navy in the Middle East
and South America. In July she'll leave her Lincoln, California,
home and be deployed as part
of the Ninety-Ninth Squadron to Korea. "You don't see many Black
females flying in any service,"
she says. "I hope this will show
young girls that this is an
option they can have." |
