1952-

American Piolot

Jeana Yeager, with co-pilot Dick Rutan (1939- ), piloted the experimental Voyager airplane they had developed on the first non-stop flight around the world. The flight was the result of a six-year effort that combined advanced aircraft construction and design with expert piloting to achieve a major milestone in aviation.

Jeana Yeager was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. Her interest in aviation began with the desire to fly helicopters. After learning to fly fixed-wing airplanes as a step towards gaining a license to fly helicopters, Yeager maintained an interest in aviation while working as a draftsperson. In California she found work on a private project to build a rocket for launch into space.

In 1980 she met Dick Rutan and went on to set new aviation records for speed and distance in Rutan's airplanes. The following year they formed the Voyager Corporation to...