Kathy La Sauce
Lieutenant colonel Kathy La Sauce | |
|---|---|
 Kathy La Sauce standing before a C-141 Starlifter | |
| Born | 1949 or 1950 (age 74–75) |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Known for | First woman to pilot a C-141 Starlifter |
Lieutenant colonel Kathy La Sauce (born 1949 or 1950) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) pilot. She was the first woman to pilot a C-141 Starlifter, and the first woman aircraft commander at Norton Air Force Base.
Biography
[edit]La Sauce was born in 1949 or 1950. She graduated college in the early 1970s[1] and worked as an English teacher in New York.[2] She joined the United States Air Force in 1972 with no flying experience.[3] She began flight training at Williams Air Force Base on September 29, 1976 with a group of women, Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) class 77-08, many of whom would go on to attain notable achievements in their field. The class became the USAF's first class of women graduates on September 2, 1977.[4] La Sauce retired from the military in 1992.[5] La Sauce and the other members of UPT class 77-08 were inducted to the Women in Aviation, International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2016.[6]
She reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Johnson, Kimberly (29 March 2022). "When Women Earned Their Wings: the USAF's First Crop of Female Pilots". Flying.
- ^ Interns, DME (9 March 2022). "#VeteranOfTheDay Air Force Veteran Kathy LaSauce". Veteran News.
- ^ Nolan, Michael (February 13, 2014). "Norton AFB female pilot aims high, sets lofty goals for women". The San Bernardino Sun.
- ^ Charles Nicholls (August 26, 2011), "This week in USAF and PACAF history", Ho'Okele News, Pearl Harbor: U.S. Navy CNIC, p. B-3
- ^ Pawlyk, Oriana (7 March 2020). "Female Air Force Pioneer's Message to Women: 'Don't Ever Accept a Barrier'". Military.com.
- ^ Pioneers (2016): UPT Class 77-08, Women in Aviation, International, archived from the original on 2016-11-25, retrieved 2016-11-24
- ^ Scott Johnston (April 11, 2013), Retired 'crew dogs' keep Norton's legacy alive, U.S. Air Force AFCEC Public Affairs