Career
She became interested in flying as an eight-year-old when she saw a barnstormer land in a field near her family"s farm. She trained at a flight training school and had her first solo flight in 1941 as a 19-year-old. Ringenberg began her aviation career in 1943 during World World War II when she became a ferry pilot with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
Although WASP pilots were not allowed to fly combat missions, they served grueling, often dangerous duties, such as ferrying, test flying, and target towing.
The WASP corps was disbanded at the end of 1944. Ringenberg went on to become a flight instructor in 1945 and flew as a commercial pilot and instructor for the rest of her life.
After the war, she answered phones at an airport. She began racing airplanes in the 1950s.
She completed the Round-the-World Air Race in 1994 at age 72, and in March 2001 at the age of 79 she flew in a race from London to Sydney.
Margaret Ringenberg was married to banker Morris Ringenberg in 1946. He preceded her in death in 2003. Ringenberg died in her sleep of natural causes on July 28, 2008 while attending the Experimental Aircraft Association annual airshow.
She was representing the WASPs.
Paluso, Philip. Wings for Maggie Ray.: Medium Cool Pictures, 2012.