Vicki Van Meter

Infobox Aviator
name=Vicki Van Meter
lived=birth date|1982|3|13 – death date and age|2008|3|15|1982|3|13


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full name=Victoria L. Van Meter
place of birth=Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States
nationality=American
place of death=Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States
cause of death=Suicide
spouse=
relatives=
known for= long-distance flying as a young pilot
first flight aircraft=
first flight date=
f-flights= Age 11: Youngest female pilot to fly across the United States, youngest pilot to fly east to west across continental united states; Age 12: Flew across Atlantic Ocean
license date=
license place=
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rank=
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Victoria "Vicki" L. Van Meter (March 131982 – March 152008) was an American pilot known for setting several youngest-pilot distance-flying records. At age 11, she was the youngest pilot to fly east to west across the continental United States of America, and the youngest female pilot to cross in either direction. [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D91E38F932A1575AC0A965958260|title=Against the Wind, Girl Is Trying to Fly From Coast to Coast|publisher=The New York Times|date=1993-09-21|accessdate=2008-03-18] [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9115009/AERIAL-SPORTS|title=Arial Sports: The year in review|year=1993|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica] [http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/aved/pdf/history&physics.pdf The History and Physics of Flight] , Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics p. 7 , retrieved 2008-03-18]

Young Pilot

She first piloted an airplane at the age of 10.cite news|last=Lawson|first=Carol|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFD91730F93BA15757C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all| title=At Home With: Vicki Van Meter; Apple Pie And Afterburners|publisher=The New York Times|date=April 28, 1994|accessdate=2008-03-18] In August 1993, at age 11, she made headlines when she flew from Augusta, Maine to San Diego, California in a Cessna 172. A year later she flew a Cessna 210 [cite news|last=Walsh|first=Lawrence|title=Pilot, age 12, takes off today to cross the sea|date=1994-07-05|accessdate=2008-03-18|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08078/866087-85.stm] over the Atlantic Ocean to Scotland.cite news|author=Associated Press|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08078/866086-100.stm|title=Pilot who flew cross-country at age 11 commits suicide|date=2008-03-18|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|accessdate=2008-03-18]

After her flights she appeared on television and visited the White House. In 2003 she was featured with 36 other female pilots in the traveling exhibit "Women and Flight — Portrait of Contemporary Women Pilots".cite news|url=http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/cent_of_flight_news.html
title=Woman Aviators Exhibit to Open at Wright Brothers National Memorial
publisher=First Flight Centenial|date=2003-12-03|accessdate=2008-03-18] , based on a book of the same name by Carolyn Russo.*cite book| last = Russo
first = Carolyn
authorlink =
title = Women and Flight: Portrait of Contemporary Women Pilots
publisher = Bulfinch Press
date = April 1997
location = United States of America
pages = 192
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 082122168X ]

Adult life

She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova after graduating from Edinboro University with a degree in criminal justice. She worked as an insurance company investigator and had made plans to pursue graduate studies.cite news|last=Plushnick-Masti|first=Ramit|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080318/ap_on_re_us/obit_van_meter |title=Record-setting young pilot dies at 26|publisher=Associated Press|date=2008-03-18|accessdate=2008-03-18] Van Meter died at her home in Meadville, PA on March 15, 2008 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her death surprised her family who believed she had been coping with her depression. She was 26.cite news| url=http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_078154348.html |title=Noted pilot Vicki Van Meter dies| publisher=The Meadville Tribune|date=2008-03-18|accessdate=2008-03-18] [cite news|last=Carroll |first=Jim| url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS05/803180333/-1/NEWS|title=Ex-child pilot Van Meter dies at home|publisher=Erie Times-News|date=2008-03-18|accessdate=2008-03-18]

Further reading

*cite book
last = Van Meter
first = Vicki
authorlink =
coauthors = Dan Gutman
title = Taking Flight: My Story
publisher = Penguin Group
date = 1995
location = United States of America
pages = 96
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0670862606

ee also

* Jessica Dubroff, who died at age 7 during an attempt to break Van Meter's transcontinental record, leading to U.S. legislation restricting such attempts.

External links

* [http://www.meadvilletribune.com/obituaries/local_story_078220748.html Victoria L. Van Meter] , The Meadville Tribune, local newspaper obituary, retrieved 2008-03-19

References