Vicki Van Meter, the flying sensation of the 1990s, who flew a plane across the country at the age of 11, then across the ocean to Europe at the ripe old age of twelve, died from what is being judged as a suicide by the coroner. Her body was found in her home on Sunday. Van Meter was 26-years-old.
Her flight across the country was from Augusta, Maine to San Diego in September of 1993. She flew it in five days in a single-engine Cessna 172.
The next year she flew from Augusta to Glasgow, Scotland, and was recognized as the youngest female to make the trip at the time.
Van Meter made a whirlwind of TV appearances, and eventually ended up with a visit to the White House. She was one of the women included in a traveling exhibition called “Women and Flight — Portrait of Contemporary Women Pilots," which showcases 47 ladies in the field.
She actually kicked of a flying craze among young females at the time, which eventually became illegal after Congress passed a law forbidding unlicensed pilots to attempt record-setting flights. The law was voted into effect when a 7-year-old girl, Jessica Dubroff was killed, along with the father and instructor when attemping to break the record of becoming the youngest person to fly across the U.S.
Comment Preview