U-Evelyn Stone uBryan Johnson, obizwa ngegama elithi “Mama Bird,” wayengoyena mqhubi wenqwelo-moya owasetyhini owayenezona yure zininzi zokubhabha ehlabathini. Wayeyikholoneli kwiPatrol Air yaseCivil kunye nelungu eliseka i-Morristown, i-Tennessee Civil Air Patrol squadron.
Xa umyeni kaEvelyn wokuqala, uW. J. Bryan, wangena emkhosini ngowe-1941, wagqiba ekubeni aqalise ukuzonwabisa ngenqwelo-moya. Ukuze afike kwisifundo sakhe sokuqala sokuhamba ngenqwelo-moya, kwafuneka athabathe uloliwe nebhasi, ahambe umgama oziikhilomitha ezintathu, aze emva koko abhexe ukuya kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya, kuba yayingekakhiwa ibhulorho ukuze ifike kuso.
Inqwelomoya yakhe yokuqala eyedwa yenzeka ngoNovemba 8, 1944, kwaye wafumana ilayisenisi yabucala ngo-1945 kunye nesatifikethi sorhwebo ngo-1946. Waba ngumhlohli wenqwelomoya ngo-1947. Wafundisa abaqhubi beenqwelomoya abangama-5,000 ngaphambi kokuba ayeke ukubala kwaye aqinisekise ngaphezu kwe-9,000 iFederal Aviation Administration. Ukufunda indlela yokubhabha kuye yayingabaqhubi bejeli kunye neenqwelomoya zemithwalo, abaphathi beenqwelomoya bexesha elizayo, kunye nowayesakuba nguSenator uHoward Baker waseTennessee.
Ukutyhubela iminyaka, wathengisa iinqwelomoya zeCessna, wabhala malunga nokubhabha kumaphepha orhwebo, wathatha inxaxheba kugqatso lweenqwelomoya ukuya eHavana nakwilizwe lonke laseMelika, kwaye waba ngomnye wabasetyhini bokuqala ukufumana ilayisenisi yenqwelomoya. Njengomqhubi weenqwelo-moya ezininzi, kuquka nejethi, akazange antlithekele, ebaleka ukonakala kwenjini kabini nomlilo kwakanye.
Kwiminyaka engama-92 ubudala, u-Evelyn wayengumhlohli wenqwelomoya omdala kunabo bonke emhlabeni, ngokutsho koMbutho wabanini beenqwelo-moya kunye nabaqhubi beenqwelo-moya, yaye waqhubeka efundisa iminyaka emi-3 eyongezelelekileyo. Wazalwa nje kwiminyaka emi-6 emva kokuba abazalwana bakwaWright bebhabha okokuqala ngo-1903, wabhabha iimayile ezizigidi ezi-5.5 – elilingana nohambo oluyi-23 lokuya enyangeni – nangaphezulu kweeyure ezingama-57,634.4 – elilingana neminyaka eyi-6.5 ukuya phezulu.
Umsebenzi kaEvelyn wokubhabha wafikelela esiphelweni xa iglaucoma nokuphulukana nomlenze ngenxa yengozi yemoto kwamenza waqhobosha iziqhoboshi zomoya. Wathi kudliwano-ndlebe ne-USA Today, “Asiyongxaki yokubhabha. Kukufumana iprothesis kwiinqwelomoya ezincinci. Ndiyayisebenza.” Ugqibele ngo-2005 ukuqhuba inqwelomoya.
Igalelo likaMama Bird kuphapho jikelele lidlulela ngaphaya komyalelo wokubhabha nokubhabha. Wayenomsebenzi osisigxina-i-Morristown Flying Service - iminyaka eyi-33, kwaye wabhiyozela iminyaka engama-54 yenkonzo eMoore-Murrell Field eMorristown, eTennessee. Kangangeminyaka eli-19, uJohnson wayengumthengisi weCessna, ngoko wayebhabha kwaye ethengisa yonke into eyenziwa nguCessna. Wayeneenqwelomoya ezininzi, ukusukela kwiAeronca Champ ukuya kwiSuper Cruiser.
UJohnson wakhonza kwiKhomishini ye-Aeronautics yaseTennessee iminyaka eyi-18 kwaye wayengusihlalo we-4 yaloo minyaka. Uncedise ukwaba imali yesibonelelo sikarhulumente kunye ne-FAA yeeprojekthi zokuphucula isikhululo seenqwelomoya kulo lonke ilizwe.
Ngo-2006, xa wayebuzwa ukuba uceba ukuthatha nini umhlala-phantsi, impendulo yakhe yathi: “Xa ndimdala ngokwaneleyo. Ndineminyaka engama-97 kuphela ubudala.” Uye waqhubeka nokulawula isikhululo seenqwelomoya sasekhaya ngaphaya kweminyaka eyi-100.
UMama Bird wazalwa ngoNovemba 4, 1909 eCorbin, eKentucky, waza wafa eneminyaka eyi-102 ngoMeyi 10, 2012 eMorristown, eTennessee. Wasinda bobabini abayeni bakhe, watshata noWyatt Jennings Bryan ukusuka ngo-1931-1963 nakuMorgan Johnson ukusuka ngo-1965-1977.
Inye kuphela indoda eye yagqitha irekhodi lika-Evelyn leeyure zokuhamba ngenqwelo moya – u-Ed Long, wase-Alabamian, owayedle ngaphezu kweeyure ezingama-64,000 zexesha lokubhabha. Kukho amarhe okuba enye yeengxelo zokugqibela zikaMnu. Long yayisithi, “Ungandivumeli laa mfazi andibethe.”
