Galina Korchuganova
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Galina Gavrilovna Korchuganova (Russian: Галина Гавриловна Корчуганова; 22 March 1935 – 18 January 2004) was a Soviet test pilot and aerobatics champion. After graduating from studies in aviation technology in 1959, Korchuganova made a name for herself as a pilot in aerobatics competitions, becoming the first women's world aerobatics champion in 1966. She subsequently trained as a test pilot, going on to set 42 world flight records and flying more than 20 types of aircraft. By the end of her flight career in 1984, she had accumulated more than 4,000 hours of flight time, including 1,500 hours as a test pilot.
Galina Gavrilovna Korchuganova | |
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Born | (1935-03-22)22 March 1935 Barnaul, USSR |
Died | 18 January 2004(2004-01-18) (aged 68) Moscow, Russian Federation |
Resting place | Khovanskoye Cemetery |
Nationality | Soviet/Russian |
Education | Moscow Aviation Institute |
Occupation(s) | Test pilot, aerobatics |
Known for | First women's world aerobatics champion |
In 1992, Korchuganova founded Aviatrissa, the first Russian aviation club for women. She served as its president and increased its membership from 13 to 550, helping to organize aviation forums that brought pilots together from all over the world.
She was posthumously inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2006.