Fran Bera, who set an unbroken National Aeronautic Association record for highest altitude attained in a twin-engine Piper Aztec—40,154 feet—died in February. Bera caught the flying bug young and worked odd jobs as a teen to save for flight lessons.
She earned her first pilot certificate at 16 and became a designated examiner certifying new pilots at the youngest age allowable, 24. Bera oversaw more than 3,000 checkrides, or licensing examinations, for new pilots, and in the 1980s stopped counting her flight hours after she had accumulated 25,000.
Bera also held helicopter and hot air balloon certificates. She worked as a flight instructor and sold airplanes for Beechcraft and Piper. Her penchant for speed helped her win the Powder Puff Derby, also known as the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race, seven times.
