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In 1994 Katrina Mumaw flew with Incredible Adventures and fulfilled her dream of becoming the youngest person to break the sound barrier. Here's her story:

On July 12, 1994 an eleven-year-old girl from Lancaster reached for a dream and was able to catch it! Thanks to the help of MIGSetc, (now Incredible Adventures), Katrina Mumaw became the first child in history not only to pilot a Russian military jet, but also the first child in history to break the sound barrier. Katrina and her instructor-pilot, Vladimir Danilenko, first flew the jet trainer, the L-39 Albatross. This flight was to prove to the Russian test pilot that Katrina, four feet eight inches in height, would be able to safely handle the MiG-29UB. After pleasing Vladimir with her abilities, the duo climbed aboard the fighter and took off. Out over the test range, Katrina reached her dream by flying the big twin-engined jet to a speed of Mach 1.3, or roughly 940mph. After that, she celebrated by performing a series of military-style maneuvers and aerobatics.

Katrina's love for flying came from a chance meeting, at the age of three, with Voyager pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager in Mojave, CA where she witnessed one of the final test flights of the world-circling craft. Since then, Katrina has been active, dogfighting in real aircraft (Marchetti SF-260 NATO combat trainers) since the age of eight. She currently has a record-setting 143 victories in contests that are best described as laser tag at 250mph in airplanes! She's beaten adult pilots from all branches of the service who have flown planes including the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, F-117A Nighthawk and the A-10 Warthog. Other aircraft she has flown include the B-17G WWII Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber, Hawker Sea Fury, BD-10 prototype jet, Goodyear Blimp "Eagle", helicopters, gliders, ultralight aircraft and even air show performer Wayne Handley's "Raven".

Katrina uses her experiences to motivate people of all ages. She points out that, "If I could break the sound barrier when I was eleven, each and every one of you can break your own barriers!" Also, she carries a message that has become her trademark, "Get high on aviation, not drugs!" to audiences of all sizes, backgrounds and ages. Katrina's long range goals are to earn an appointment to the USAF Academy, fly fighters for the USAF and go to Test Pilot School, currently at Edwards AFB. From there, she wants to enter the astronaut program and lead the first manned mission to Mars. Coincidentally, she is set to graduate from high school in the year 2002... Arthur C. Clarke would be pleased.

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