Evelyn Bryan Johnson, who racked up more flying hours than any other woman and the second most flying hours of any pilot overall, died on May 10 at age 102 in Jefferson City, Tenn., according to press reports. A 2007 inductee of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Johnson amassed some 57,635 flying hours in the cockpit over the course of 55 years of flying as an aviation enthusiast and instructor pilot by the time she stopped flying at age 96, according to her New York Times obituary. Born in Corbin, Ky., on Nov. 4, 1909, Johnson began flying in 1944 as a hobby. She became a flight instructor in 1947 and certified more than 9,000 student pilots, earning the nickname “Mama Bird,” states her NAHF biography. She also became one of the first female helicopter pilots and was involved in the Civil Air Patrol. Among her many honors, she was the FAA’s flight instructor of the year in 1979. (See also NAHF announcement and Knoxville News Sentinel obituary.)
On Jan. 4, a dozen U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors departed Puerto Rico, where they had landed following their participation in Operation Absolute Resolve. Those fighters appeared to have flown directly from their home base at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., to participate in the operation and returned there two days…
