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Aviation

  From first solo to multi-engine rating and  from flying clubs to air traffic control  Diane  Earhart  has been consumed by  aviation for over 3 decades.   Diane  learned to fly in  Madison, Wisconsin,  soloing on her 16th birthday and earning  her  private pilot  license on her 17th  birthday. 

  Even working as a secretary (1977), it was clear what Diane preferred!

 She belonged to the University of Wisconsin Flying Club for five years before  moving from Wisconsin, serving on the Board of Directors as Vice President for  most of that time.  She was also an airplane captain, responsible for all matters involving one airplane in the club's fleet of five.  In Wisconsin, she spent many weekends flying skydivers and also jumped herself.

After Diane moved to the St. Louis area to take a job as an air traffic controller at St. Louis Downtown Tower (then known as Bi-State Tower), she continued to fly at the Bi-State Flying Club and the Lazy 8 Flying Club for years, earning additional ratings including Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) rating.  After each club went out of business, she joined the Scott AFB Aero Club, where she became an instrument flight instructor.  There she was a member, a contract flight instructor, and also spent several years as the Club's Safety Officer, responsible for the safety program of the Club.  Scott Aero Club is the one of the largest Aero Clubs in the U.S. Air Force system in terms of membership and fleet of airplanes.  Diane flew many hours giving flight instruction in addition to working full time in the control tower until multiple sclerosis forced Diane to slow down.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995, Diane waged a successful campaign with the FAA to restore her medical certification to continue to act as a pilot and as an air traffic controller.  She has been a popular speaker at annual Wings Weekend events in Georgia and in Illinois, where she also participates as a flight instructor.  In January 1999, Diane was named the Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year for 1998 for the St. Louis, Missouri, district.

Over the years, Diane has been involved in all aspects of running a flying club from sweeping floors to scheduling airplanes to purchasing new and used airplanes.  She continues to be very involved in aviation education from attending and conducting safety seminars to taking part in career day presentations.  She enjoys talking to groups and clubs and organizations about various aviation topics, multiple sclerosis, or her travels to England.