Doris Lockness

Doris Estella (Rhoads) Lockness (February 2, 1910 – January 30, 2017) was a pioneering American aviator.{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-doris-lockness-20170208-story.html|title=Doris Lockness, one of the country's most honored female pilots, dies at 106|agency=Associated Press|website=Los Angeles Times|date=8 February 2017|access-date=2017-02-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/february/03/hall-of-fame-pilot-doris-lockness-has-died|title=Hall of Fame pilot Doris Lockness has died|date=2017-03-02|website=aopa.org|accessdate=2017-02-11}} Two of her sons, Dave Rhodes and Ron Rhoads were Olympic cyclists.

Biography

Lockness was born in Pennsylvania in 1910 and began flying in 1939 and worked as a liaison engineer at Douglas Aircraft Company.{{Cite news|url=http://www.villagelife.com/news/a-happy-birthday-for-the-woman-who-can-fly|title=A happy birthday for the woman who can fly|date=2016-02-24|newspaper=Village Life|accessdate=2017-02-11}}

She left in 1943 to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots, she was one of 25,000 women who applied to be Air Force Service pilots and was one of 1,074 accepted. She enlisted in the war effort after her husband at the time received a deferment, because of the couple's four children.{{Cite web |last=Samrick |first=Julie |date=2016-02-24 |title=A happy birthday for the woman who can fly |url=https://www.villagelife.com/news/local/a-happy-birthday-for-the-woman-who-can-fly/article_d711a171-acb0-5243-9a14-db53a26a14a2.html |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Village Life |language=en}} After the war she continued in aviation, working as a flight instructor and performing at air shows. She held multiple flight ratings and certifications, including CFI, sea planes, gliders, balloon and helicopter ratings.{{Cite web |title=High flying pilot keeps her feet on the ground |url=https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/40955/high-flying-pilot-keeps-her-feet-on-the-ground/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=goldcountrymedia.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Stratford |first=Cecil |date=January 30, 2017 |title=New Horizons - Doris Estella (Rhoads) Lockness (1/30/2017) (The... |url=https://www.ninety-nines.org/NH-Doris_Estella_Rhoads_Lockness_28.htm |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=The Ninety-Nines, Inc. |language=en}} Lockness received her helicopter rating on April 20, 1963.{{Cite web |title=MSS 664.55.6 |url=https://twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16283coll1/id/354/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}} She was the 55th woman to receive a helicopter rating, and became the 55th member of the Whirly Girls, an organization for women in helicopter aviation. In 1998, she earned her commercial gyroplane license.{{Cite web |last=Pilots |first=The Ninety-Nines Museum Of Women |title=Doris Lockness : Women Pilots (Museum Of Women Pilots) |url=https://www.museumofwomenpilots.org/women-pilots-doris-lockness-33.htm |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Museum Of Women Pilots |language=en}} She was the second woman to hold a rating for a constant speed prop gyroplane.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-02 |title=Hall of Fame pilot Doris Lockness has died |url=https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/february/03/hall-of-fame-pilot-doris-lockness-has-died |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=www.aopa.org |language=en}}

A regular airshow performer, she was often flying “Swamp Angel”, her Vultee Stinson L-5 with 190 horsepower engine that served in New Guinea in World War II.{{Cite web |title=MSS 664.55.6 |url=https://twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16283coll1/id/354/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}} She bought "Swamp-Angel" as war surplus and kept the plane until she was 90.{{Cite web |last=Samrick |first=Julie |date=2016-02-24 |title=A happy birthday for the woman who can fly |url=https://www.villagelife.com/news/local/a-happy-birthday-for-the-woman-who-can-fly/article_d711a171-acb0-5243-9a14-db53a26a14a2.html |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Village Life |language=en}} Her adventures were not limited to the skies. Doris was also an avid Jaguar enthusiast and a member of the Sacramento Jaguar Club.{{Cite web |last=Samrick |first=Julie |date=2016-03-02 |title=Reaching for the sky |url=https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/reaching-for-the-sky/article_b581c988-d7b2-5c71-82f9-255e304ac552.html |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Mountain Democrat |language=en}}

At age 87, she was the 100th pilot to fly into the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas. She flew her last plane at age 89.{{Cite web |title=High flying pilot keeps her feet on the ground |url=https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/40955/high-flying-pilot-keeps-her-feet-on-the-ground/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=goldcountrymedia.com |language=en}} At her 100th birthday party, she co-piloted a Robinson 44 helicopter for her assembled guests.

In 1994, she was nominated for the NAA's Elder Statesman of Aviation Award. In her nomination, Lockness was cited as "the only pilot in the world qualified for membership in all of four exclusive aviation organizations, OX5 Aviation Pioneers; Women's Airforce Service Pilots WWII (WASP); International Women Helicopter Pilots, Inc. (Whirly-Girls); and the United Flying Octogenarians (UFO)."{{Citation |last=Whirly-Girls International |title=Doris Lockness (WG #55) receives the 1995 Elder Statesman of Aviation Award |url=http://twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16283coll1/id/355 |access-date=2024-05-23}}

In 1997, a biography of Lockness was included in a “Women and Flight” exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum.

Lockness died in 2017 in Folsom, California.

Awards

1995 - National Aeronautics Association Elder Statesman of Aviation Award{{Cite web |title=Gone West: Pioneering Female Pilot Doris Lockness {{!}} Aero-News Network |url=https://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=df9094c8-06c1-4c82-8f7b-d63c23c602bb |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=www.aero-news.net}}{{Citation |last=Whirly-Girls International |title=Doris Lockness (WG #55) receives the 1995 Elder Statesman of Aviation Award |url=http://twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16283coll1/id/355 |access-date=2024-05-23}}
1996 - Whirly Girls Livingston Award
1997 - NAA's Katharine Wright Memorial Trophy
2002 - Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame
2010 - California National Guard Honorable Order of St. Michael{{Cite web |title=High flying pilot keeps her feet on the ground |url=https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/40955/high-flying-pilot-keeps-her-feet-on-the-ground/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=goldcountrymedia.com |language=en}}
2010 - WASP Gold Medal{{Cite web |title=High flying pilot keeps her feet on the ground |url=https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/40955/high-flying-pilot-keeps-her-feet-on-the-ground/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=goldcountrymedia.com |language=en}}