In Memoriam: Margaret Ringenberg

Renowned pilot Margaret Ringenberg of Grabill has passed away at Oshkosh, Wisconsin where she had been in attendance at Air Venture.

She was a Hoosier Legend. One of the Greatest Generation.  A pioneer in women's aviation.  A tremendous supporter of Fort Wayne aviation. A friend of many, many people.

She told of her experiences and has inspired so many in so doing in a steady pace of speaking engagements around the nation.

I have been a passenger in an airplane piloted by Margaret Ringenberg and her late, good friend, Marvin Berger.  I was privileged by that experience.  And I am forever grateful for the time she took to speak at an event on my behalf last year.

I was most privileged to hear her stories of World War II when she, former Indiana First Lady Josie Orr and a small group of other female aviators piloted military aircraft across the United States for deployment.

Margaret's was a tremendous life. It is a tremedous loss. Godspeed.

Comments

[john wallace]

Sad to hear of her passing but you can bet that she went out happy dying at OshKosh (an mazing aviation showcase). I heard her speak in Wells County last fall and interviewed her. Being an aviation buff I was enthralled. Hearing she still had a current medical certificate and still flew amazed me. I asked her what her favorite aircraft of all time was and she didn't have a specific answer. "Anything with wings, I'm not picky," she replied.
She was an original and a tribute to her generation and women in aviation everywhere.

[Karen Goldner]

Selfishly, my favorite part of serving on the Airport Authority's committee to study Smith Field has always been the opportunity to meet and serve with Mrs. Ringenberg. What an amazing lady!

And I agree with John - Oshkosh was an appropriate place for her to say farewell.

[Alex Bowers]

I'm sad to hear about this, as I am when any of the inspiring women pilots pass (though, does this mean they don't need a license or a plane to fly?) I enjoyed hearing your and Mom's stories about her, and reading her book, and proud to be a woman in aviation with her.

[Roger McNeill]

Met Margaret Ringenberg at Smith Field (where most people did) when I was in pilot training. What an inspiration!! The Fort Wayne aviation world has lost a treasure.

[Colleen Condron]

Appropriate for her to pass in OshKosh. What a loss. I flew with her a few years ago when I was doing a radio feature about her. She paved the path for women like me who learned to fly, and the fantastic women who taught me.

Thanks, Margaret. Godspeed.

[john wallace]

I forgot my favorite part her interview. I tried to get her to talk about what aviation experiences she enjoyed most or was most impressed with due to her life story and experiences.
She was given the chance to fly the space shuttle simulator with NASA during a visit and flew with an astronaut to her right. She said she was marginal on her first landing but she did OK and after that she nailed the other approaches. I was pondering energy management, supersonic to sub-sonic flight, and the heading alignment turns the shuttle has to do to slow down and drop altitudes, and I had to grin. She was a stick-and-rudder flyer in the original form and had, "The Right Stuff."

[Bruce Braun]

It's been many many years since I last saw Margaret Ringenberg.
I knew her, and yes even had the priviledge of flying with her because her daughter Marsha, who was also a skilled pilot from age 16, was a classmate of mine in Fortwayne, Indiana and is still a dear friend of mine.
It was a shock to hear of Margaret's passing but I know she is in a better place today because of her faith in Jesus Christ.
I will mourn with her family, but also rejoice at her remarkable life, her contributions to avaiation, her devotion to her family and the joy and pride she brought to all who knew her.

[Bob Metcalf]

Margaret was a fine lady. I first met her when I asked her to speak at my local Lions Club. She came to my son, Seth's, wedding reception/cookout and was a big hit. I remember the 60th anniversary of her dropping the leaflets over Ft. Wayne announcing the surrender of Japan and thereby the end of WWII. I took a bushel basket of flowers to her house that day and thanked her for her service. She thank me hardily for she said no one else had remembered. She said as one gets older people seem to forget. She is one person I will never forget. She is my hero.

[Jon Wright]

I'm Margaret's oldest grandson. Reading through these notes makes me smile. I miss her and had a great time helping her with all the "lastest and greastest" gadgets she always had. Thanks for all your kind words! She always loved the attention...although she'd never admit it.