Synopsis
"Higher, Faster, Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Spaceflight" is an inspiring memoir by Wally Funk, co-authored with Loretta Hall, that chronicles the extraordinary life of a pioneering aviator and her relentless pursuit of space travel. The narrative begins with Funk’s childhood in Taos, New Mexico, where her fascination with flight took root. As a young girl, she donned a Superman cape and leapt off the family barn, dreaming of the skies while stargazing from the slopes of Taos Mountain. This early passion propelled her into a lifelong journey of breaking barriers and chasing ambitious goals, a theme that resonates throughout the book. Her story is one of resilience, adventure, and an unyielding drive to go higher, fly faster, and travel longer, no matter the obstacles.
Funk’s aviation career kicked off in earnest during her college years, first at Stephens College in Missouri, where she joined the "Flying Susies" and excelled in their aviation program, graduating at the top of her pilot class. She later transferred to Oklahoma State University, immersing herself in the renowned "Flying Aggies" program. There, she earned an impressive array of certifications—Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Land, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, Flight Instructor, and Ground Instructor ratings—alongside a degree in secondary education. Her talent shone through as she competed in international collegiate air meets, earning accolades like the "Outstanding Female Pilot" trophy. At just 20 years old, she became a professional aviator, taking her first job as a civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, teaching U.S. Army officers and making history as the first female flight instructor at a military base.
The memoir delves deeply into Funk’s quest to become an astronaut, a dream sparked in the early 1960s when she joined the Mercury 13, a group of women who underwent the same rigorous physical and mental testing as NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts. Funk excelled in these tests, outperforming many of her male counterparts, including John Glenn, and setting a record for endurance in a sensory deprivation tank. However, systemic sexism and political resistance led to the program’s abrupt cancellation, barring her and the other women from spaceflight. Undeterred, Funk continued to pursue her dream, applying to NASA four times over two decades and exploring alternative paths like the Space Cruiser System, Interorbital Systems’ Ansari X-Prize entry, and eventually securing a ticket with Virgin Galactic. Her persistence paid off in 2021, when, at age 82, she flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft with Jeff Bezos, becoming the oldest person to reach space at that time—a triumphant capstone detailed in the book’s final chapters.
Beyond her space ambitions, Funk’s career in aviation is a testament to her trailblazing spirit. She became the first female Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight inspector after completing their rigorous General Aviation Operations Inspector Academy course in 1971, and later the first female Air Safety Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in 1974. She logged over 18,600 flight hours, taught 3,000 students, and shattered glass ceilings in a male-dominated field. The book also weaves in her adventurous side—tales of global travels, from camping across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to flying in air races like the Powder Puff Derby. Her personal life, marked by a close bond with her mother and a rejection of traditional domestic roles, underscores her fiercely independent nature.
Written in Funk’s own voice with Hall’s skillful assistance, the memoir captures her no-nonsense, positive outlook and larger-than-life personality. It’s a conversational narrative that feels like Funk is speaking directly to the reader, sharing both her triumphs and the setbacks she faced with unwavering optimism. The book doesn’t shy away from the disappointments—like NASA’s repeated rejections or the poor-quality photographs included due to limited source material—but it frames them as mere detours on her remarkable journey. Published in 2020, just before her historic Blue Origin flight, "Higher, Faster, Longer" stands as a tribute to Funk’s perseverance, her contributions to aviation and women’s history, and her lifelong love affair with the skies and stars. It’s a story of an ordinary girl who, by staying true to her extraordinary dreams, left an indelible mark on the world.