Mary Wallace Funk, better known as Wally Funk, is an American aviator and astronaut. She was the first female aviation safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Agency. Wally Funk terms are currently unavailable and under review.
| Full Name | Mary Wallace Funk |
| Date of Birth | February 1, 1939 |
| Age | 82 years old |
| Born Place | Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States |
| Married | Not Available |
| Net Worth | Under review |
Early Life
Funk was born on February 1, 1939, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and grew up in Taos, New Mexico. His parents had a store and they sold art collections. Funk was interested in airplanes from an early age. At the age of 7 he was building airplanes out of cork wood.
He also loved horseback riding, skiing, hunting, and fishing. At the age of 14, he became a sniper and received a marksman’s award.
For education, he entered Stevens College in Missouri. He graduated in 1958 with a pilot’s license and a master of art. He then earned his Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University.
Wally Funk’s career
Funk became a professional race car driver when he was only 20 years old. Her first job was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where she worked as a civilian flight instructor. Thanks to this job, she became the first female instructor on a US military base.
In 1968 she earned her air travel qualification, becoming the 58th woman in the United States to do so. Three years later, she earned her FAA Flight Inspector degree, becoming the first woman to graduate from the FAA General Aviation Inspector Academy. For four years she worked as a field inspector for the FAA and in 1973 she transferred to FAA SWAP as a specialist.
In 1985, Funk retired as an air safety investigator after 11 years of service. Two years later, she was promoted to Principal Pilot at Emery Aviation College, where she oversaw the entire flight program for 100 students.
From a young age, Funk dreamed of flying into space. When NASA began accepting women in the late 1970s, she applied three times. However, she was rejected because she did not have an engineering degree or experience as a test pilot.
On July 1, 2021, Blue Origin announced that Funk would be one of four people to fly into space. After a successful flight at the age of 82, he became the oldest person to have been in space. The previous record was set by John Glenn in 1998 at the age of 77.
Wally Funk’s Luck
Details of Wally Funk’s personal conditions are currently unavailable and being verified. However, he has written several books in his name, which may have made a great contribution to his fortune. His memoir Higher, Faster, Longer, My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Space Flight is one of his best-selling books.