BOEING CAPT. SUZANNA DARCY HONORED BY WOMEN IN AEROSPACE

Pioneering Woman Test Pilot Receives Outstanding Leadership Award

In a Capitol Hill awards ceremony last night, Boeing Capt. Suzanna Darcy received one of the highest honors from the Women in Aerospace organization. Darcy, a senior engineering test pilot for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group, was one of seven women honored by the national non-profit organization, which is dedicated to expanding women's opportunities for leadership and expanding their visibility in the aerospace community.

Presenting the "Outstanding Leadership Award" to Darcy was Washington's U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

"I'm especially proud to have the opportunity to present the Outstanding Leadership Award to Capt. Suzanna Darcy," Murray said. "Washington state is proud of you, I'm proud of you, and The Boeing Company is proud of you."

Darcy has a history of firsts in her aerospace career, which began in 1974 when she joined The Boeing Company. After seven years in engineering, Darcy became the first woman hired as a test pilot at Boeing in 1985. She also was the first woman pilot in the world to become rated as a captain on the 747-400 and 777 in 1989 and 1995, respectively.

The University of Washington engineering graduate continues to lead the way as the first woman to join the elite Boeing Engineering Flight Test group, which is responsible for designing and testing new airplanes and new innovations or capabilities before they are added to Boeing commercial airplanes. As an experimental test pilot on the Boeing 777, Darcy is an integral member of the airplane program, contributing to the design, testing and certification of the 777, new derivatives and added features or capabilities.

"We selected Suzanna for her qualities as a person and her potential as a pilot -- and 'oh, by the way, she happens to be a woman,'" said Capt. Ken Higgins, vice president of Boeing Flight Test. "I view her as an asset because of the person she is, bringing great enthusiasm, background and experience along with her perspective as a woman. She is a key contributor to our diverse piloting community."

This is the second year that Boeing has had a Women in Aerospace honoree. Ginger Barnes, now director of Contracts and Pricing for Boeing Aerospace Support in St. Louis, received the Outstanding International Award in 1999 for her work on the International Space Station.

Darcy and six other women were honored last evening at the Women in Aerospace 15th Annual Award Reception in the Russell Senate Office Building here. Other honorees include:

* Dr. Sydell P. Gold, Science Applications International Corp., Outstanding Achievement Award.

* Dr. Kathryn Clark, NASA, Outstanding International Award.

* Col. Suzanne Vatrinot, U.S. Air Force, Outstanding Leadership Award.

* Dr. Joan Vernikos, NASA (retired), Lifetime Achievement Award.

* Dr. Arlene S. Levine, NASA, Aerospace Educator Award.

* Shana Dale, University of Texas System, Outstanding WIA Emeritus Award.

Darcy currently is involved in developing the two newest members of the 777 family -- the longer-range Boeing 777-200 and -300, launched in February. Joining three other 777 models now in production, the longer-range 777-200 sets the industry's range standard of more than 10,100 miles (8,860 nautical miles, 16, 405 kilometers), while the larger -300 is the perfect solution for 747-400 routes that don't demand the jumbo jet's size.