Jean began flying fixed-wing aircraft in 1945, balloons in 1961, and helicopters in 1965. She was the first woman to be rated in constant speed prop gyroplanes in 1976. She was deeply involved with the Whirly-Girls, acting as Scholarship Chairman, International Secretary, Executive Director (for 12 years), and then Executive Director Emeritus. She received the Livingston Award for lifetime achievement in 1994. She is also included in the book, Hovering: The History of the Whirly-Girls, International Women Helicopter Pilots.
Jean was involved in many aviation organizations, serving on the Boards of Directors for the San Francisco Aeronautical Society, the Hiller Aviation Museum, and the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) as well as the Whirly-Girls. She played major roles in the Helicopter Club of America (HCA), the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Western Aerospace Museum at the Oakland International Airport, and was a chairman of the Bay Cities Chapter of the Ninety-Nines. She was a US representative to the International Rotorcraft Commission (CIG) and a member of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, City of London. And she was designated by the FAA as a Written Test Examiner and an Accident Prevention Counselor.
One of Jean’s proudest moments came in July 1973 when she was one of six women helicopter pilots on the United States competition team in the second World Helicopter Championships in England. She then acted as a US judge or chief judge for later world championship competitions. After competing in 1978, she worked diligently to found the Helicopter Club of America (HCA), and became the first woman president of the HCA.
In March 1990, the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) requested Jean to be one of the designated officials to observe and report on the XV-15 tilt-rotor program test flights when the tilt-rotor qualified for world record status. Jean was determined to fly the XV-15 after watching it perform. She became the first woman to pilot the tilt-rotor on April 12, 1990. Jean received numerous awards, including the Bell Helicopter Textron Award for being the first woman to pilot the XV-15 tilt-rotor (1990), the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of California (1991), the NAA Elder Statesman of Aviation Award (1996), and in 1998, she was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship, a memorial dedicated to notable women and men in aviation and space exploration. She worked throughout her life to champion safety and advance women in aviation.
Jean died on April 26, 2017, at age 90.
(from a write-up about Jean on whirlygils.org)
