1. Ellen Evak Paneok was the first Alaskan woman of indigenous ancestry to become a licensed pilot.
13 Facts About Ellen Paneok
1. 2.
Ellen Paneok was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2012.
3.
Accounts vary as to whether Ellen Paneok was actually born in Bedford, Virginia, or in Kotzebue, Alaska.
4.
The name "Ellen Paneok" is a childhood nickname bestowed by her mother and translates into "fish's tail".
5.
Ellen Paneok's parents divorced, and responsibility for her two sisters fell on her shoulders.
6.
Ellen Paneok became an emotionally troubled adolescent who at one point was in a juvenile detention center.
7.
Ellen Paneok often skipped school to attend flying lessons at Merrill Field.
8.
Ellen Paneok received her pilot's license in 1979, becoming the first female licensed pilot of indigenous Alaskan ancestry.
9.
Ellen Paneok was an operations inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, and a statewide safety coordinator for the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation.
10.
Ellen Paneok had her article titled "With Trusting Eyes Behind Me" published in 1996 in Alaska Magazine.
11.
Ellen Paneok was a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, working with at-risk children.
12.
Ellen Paneok was a member of the International Organization of Women Pilots, the Alaska Ninety-Nines and the Alaska Airmen's Association.
13.
In 2012, Ellen Paneok was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.