24 Aviation forWomen J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
For Vanessa Christie, WAI 28410, and Meagan Flannigan, fying was some-
thing they knew they wanted to do from a very young age.
Vanessa was just 9 years old at the time of her frst fight. "I went up in a
Cessna and was just in love with fying right away," she said. "It was such a
liberating feeling being above the clouds."
Meagan saw a flm that inspired her to want to fy.
"When I was 10 years old I saw the movie Top Gun and I knew that I didn't just
want to fy, but that I wanted to fy fghters in the Navy."
Both of Meagan's parents were teachers in the Pitts-
burgh area and went to talk to the school's guidance
counselor to discuss her strategy to reach her goals.
They were stunned at what they learned. At that time,
the Navy did not allow women to fly fighter aircraft.
Rather than tell their daughter that the goals she want-
ed to reach for were not possible, they instead encour-
aged her to do the best she could in classes that would
be applicable to going to the Naval Academy.
"I worked hard toward that goal," Meagan said. "I
took AP courses, joined clubs, played sports, and did
everything I could to meet the requirements. When the
day came that I found out I had been accepted, it was
amazing. A day I will never forget."
By the time Vanessa graduated and began fight train-
ing, the Navy had changed its course, and she became
one of the first women to begin training with the in-
tent of fying fghters. She began her training in the T-34
Turbomentor and the T-2 Buckeye. Vanessa had initially
by Chris Henry
F I G H T E R
D R E A M S
Flying the F-14 Tomcat and beyond
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
MEAGAN
FLANNIGAN
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
VANESSA
CHRISTIE
Vanessa Christie