Margaret Russell

Margaret Russell was a mother of 3 boys (youngest was me) and a private pilot. She started flying in the 1950s in a Piper Tri-Pacer. By the 1960's, my mom and dad upgraded to a Bonanza A35 and that's when I got my first taste of flying. As a small boy getting to fly the plane in cruise was a huge thrill. I think this is why I always was interested in aviation, and I now own the same A35 today.

My favorite flying story from my mom was about a time when she was alone flying. She had just taken off and had an engine out in the A35. She could not get it restarted. Luckily, there was another airport close by with a straight in approach. She dead stick landed it! They had just changed out the wobble pump for an electric boost pump and did something wrong with the fuel line routing. The thing that amazed me was her attitude about this. Like it was no big deal. She said, “We practiced this scenario so much that I just did it no problem!”

I didn't realize how special it was that mom was a pilot starting back in the 1950's because she always acted like it was no big deal and anyone could do it. After I learned of Debbie's Memorial Aviation Scholarship Foundation through Mike Franceus, I thought of my mom and how important it is to have women in aviation…Richard Russell