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COL Eileen Collins
Colonel Eileen Collins is former military instructor and test pilot and was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle.
Eileen Marie Collins was born on November 19, 1956 in Elmira, NY
She has three siblings. As a child, she participated in Girl Scouts, and expressed an interest both in space flight and in being a pilot.
After graduating from Elmira Free Academy in 1974, Collins attended Corning Community College where she earned an associate degree in mathematics/science in 1976. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1978 with a bachelor of arts in mathematics and economics, then earned a master of science degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1986, and a master of arts degree in space systems management from Webster University in 1989.
Following graduation from Syracuse, she was one of four women chosen for Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. After earning her pilot wings, she stayed on at Vance for three years as a T-38 Talon instructor pilot before transitioning to the C-141 Starlifter at Travis Air Force Base, California. From 1986 to 1989, she was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, where she was an assistant professor in mathematics and a T-41 instructor pilot. In 1989, Collins became the second female pilot to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and graduated with class 89B. She was selected for the astronaut program in 1990.
“When I was very young and first started reading about astronauts, there were no women astronauts.” However, she was inspired while she was a child by the Mercury astronauts, and by the time she was in high school and college, new opportunities were opening up for women in aviation. “My timing was really great,” she said. Collins joined the Air Force, and during her first month of training, her base was visited by the newest astronaut class-the first to include women-and her path was set. “I wanted to be part of our nation’s space program. It’s the greatest adventure on this planet-or off the planet, for that matter. I wanted to fly the Space Shuttle.”
Collins was selected to be an astronaut in 1990 and first flew the Space Shuttle as pilot in 1995 aboard STS-63, which involved a rendezvous between Discovery and the Russian space station Mir. In recognition of her achievement as the first female Shuttle Pilot, she received the Harmon Trophy. She was also the pilot for STS-84 in 1997.
Collins was also the first female commander of a U.S. Spacecraft with Shuttle mission STS-93, launched in July 1999, which deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Collins commanded STS-114, NASA’s “return to flight” mission to test safety improvements and resupply the International Space Station (ISS). The flight was launched on July 26, 2005, and returned on August 9, 2005. During STS-114, Collins became the first astronaut to fly the Space Shuttle through a complete 360-degree pitch maneuver. This was necessary so astronauts aboard the ISS could take photographs of the Shuttle’s belly, to ensure there was no threat from debris-related damage to the Shuttle upon reentry.
Colonel Collins has logged 38 days 8 hours and 20 minutes in outer space
Retired from the AF in 2005. On May 1, 2006, Collins announced that she would leave NASA to spend more time with her family and pursue other interests, including service as a board member of USAA.
Since her retirement from NASA, she has made occasional public appearances as an analyst covering Shuttle launches and landings for CNN.
On her advice for future astronauts:
“My advice to young people is, go into the field you are most interested in. If you love your job, you’ll do well in your job.” While coming from a mathematics, science, or technology background is a must, there’s a lot of variety in what exactly you can pursue. In fact, Collins discourages people from looking at what other astronauts are in and choosing that. The exact opposite worked for her-when she joined the corps, there were no astronauts in her field, operations research. “I said I think I can fill a void, and I think they bought it.” It’s paid off, too, she said, since much of her background ties in directly to the operation of the Shuttle.
Collins married pilot Pat Youngs in 1987; they have two children
Eileen Collins Official Website
CC’s Story
CC shared her story with us out of the rural country in the great state of Oklahoma. CC joined the marines when she was 27. Joining the service any time after 18 is going to make you feel old. We were just talking about this right? CC went to college and got her degree in chemistry prior to joining the Marine Corps. She even jokingly talks about how she got this degree to prove she has a brain in her head. She often would be judged on her intelligence by her appearance.
Her job in the Corps was as a combat correspondent and she loved that job. Arguably the best job in the military if you ask her. This job wasn’t boring and enabled her to experience so many things in those years she was in. It gave her an insight in to almost every job the corps had to offer. She was out interviewing generals, flying in helicopters, speaking to, and meeting with many different people. Unfortunately, she had to leave the service early due to an injury that plagued her since basic. This was very disappointing to her; she saw herself as someone who was going to retire from the military. However, life happens and we don’t always get to decide what we are going to be able to do. CC has a degree in chemistry, which she jokingly states she got this degree to prove she has a brain in her head. She often would be judged on her intelligence by her appearance.
CC’s spooky story happened after her service. She has always had a strong intuition that has guided her through life. Once it even helped her avoid going to the mall, only to find out later that there was a shooting at that mall. Had she gone there with her family, they would have been present at the time of the shooting.
Listen to that inner voice! That intuition might just be saving your life!!! CC was so fun to talk to. Like she was an old friend easy to talk to and quick to laugh. Anyway on to CC’s story.
CC had been in a bad car accident and ended up living with her parents because she couldn’t care for herself. Eventually she ends up buying the house next door to her parents after the neighbor passes away. The family cleaned up the house, cleared it out and put it up for sale. They sold it to CC and she was glad to be in her own space.
As she moves in and starts getting settled in her home, she noticed an old photograph in one of the cupboards. Now what is strange about this is that the cupboards were all cleared out and empty. This cupboard she remembered looking in before and it was empty. All of a sudden one day there is this photograph and it is of a woman in early 1900s clothing. Guessing around 1900, 1910. She says oh here is the photo of the ghost in my house! Hahahaha
She moves on with life. Her home was listed as being built in 1940s, however investigative research after renovations show it was built in the 1900, 1910 and moved to the location in 1940.
She has always felt at home and at ease in the house, but she also sensed that she wasn’t alone there. She felt another presence there, but it isn’t until later that she starts to believe there might actually be a spirit or being in the home.
One day CC ends up having to driving into the city. Not a big deal, she does what she typically does before leaving the house, turns everything off, locks up and goes. When she returns home though, things are not as she left it. She has three cats, and all three of these babies are lined up on the couch just chilling watching TV. These cats never lay around like friends all together. She writes it off as oh one of the cats must have knocked the remote. You know whatever, nothing crazy.
The next week she has to go into the city again. She carefully turns everything off and makes her trip as usual. When she returns, the cats are chilling on the couch watching TV again! I forgot to mention that the TV is playing family guy, both times when she finds it on after she returns. She thought this was odd, because one she never watched family guy. She doesn’t watch that station anything near that. So, this felt very odd to here seeing it play out again. She still had in the back of her mind it was the cats.
Weeks later she is cleaning the house and rocking out to 80’s music. While she is cleaning with her door closed, she hears a strange noise. When she comes out into the living room the TV is on and her music is off. Like what the hell? She shuts the TV off and puts her music back on. She then goes back to cleaning and jamming to those sweet 80s ballads. Once again there is an odd noise. When she returns to the living room the TV is back on, but this time the music is still on, but the volume is lower than the TV.
Frustrated she calls out into the house Alright! I want to listen to my music! I do not want to watch TV! And shuts the TV off.
At that same moment the TV turns back on and starts flipping through the channels until it lands on ghostbusters!
A very clear message was given to CC that day. Her roommate was there, she wasn’t going anywhere and she hated 80’s music.
There have been multiple times since this incident that CC will get about ten minutes of 80’s music in before her roommate shuts it off and turns on the TV. Other music she can get away with about 30 minutes of listening before the TV comes on.
She is out there in rural Oklahoma; her neighbors are not close enough to be able to justify or right off as the reason for the TV’s episodes.
She feels that the picture is a clear link to the spirit that stays in the house. She has tried to make copies of the picture but every time it comes out black.
Her cats have odd behavior towards empty spaces in the house. They act like there is someone there. Little Squeakers plays with this spirit who hangs out in her room and occasionally in the living room when her shows are on.
CC feels a sense of safety with this spirit in the house. Almost as if this spirit would warn her if something bad was going to happen.
I hope you all enjoyed CC’s 80’s hating, but friendly, spirit story!
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