In Memoriam, Monique Weil
Monique was born in the late twenties into a Jewish family in Paris, France. Due to the hardship of the thirties and early forties, Monique’s life was turbulent, and she lived in different places worldwide (England, Australia, US and Israel). In 1964, after working as a social worker in Israel for 6 years, she came to the Bay area in California to visit a friend. She got a job as a social worker there and decided to stay.
She had her first (power) flight on Oct. 16, 1965, and fell in love with flying. A few months later, landing at Sky Sailing glider field in Fremont, CA thinking that flying in a glider would be a good way to practice power-off landings prior to her check ride she took her first glider ride on June 5, 1966. And thus began an illustrious career as a glider pilot/ instructor which influenced the glider community for decades.
In 1985 she attended the women soaring seminar at Air Sailing, where the proposal to form the Women Soaring Pilot Association (WSPA) was made. (WSPA was incorporated in 1986).
Following that initiation into women soaring, Monique attended many seminars in the US and abroad. She flew in different countries always an ambassador for women soaring. Following the 2009 WSPA seminar in Slovenia, she became a good friend with the women there and visited a couple of times. In 2000, she flew in Australia at Lake Keepit (see the story in this Hangar Soaring) and over the French Alps out of St Aubun. (20 years later Sarah Arnold won the Gold Medal in the Women’s World Championships at Lake Keepit, Australia).
Monique had many ratings:
Instrument Rating, Commercial Rating, CFI, CFII, Multiple Engine, Complex aircraft, ATP (Airline Transport Pilot). She flew as mission pilot for the Civil Air Patrol. She received her glider rating in February 1968. As of August 2006, she had logged about 10 000 hours -in 49 years-, 3000 glider flights 2000 of them as glider instructor.
In 2008 Monique received PASCO’s Les Arnold award for her longtime service to the soaring community.
At the 2012 SSA National Convention Monique was recognized “for her tireless work supporting soaring activities at the local and regional levels as an instructor and completely dedicated hard worker”.
In 2014, Monique donated a sizeable amount of money to WSPA which was used to establish the Monique’s Scholarship open to women working toward an Instructor Rating in gliders.
Monique was a stalwart of NCSA. She was a key instructor and leader. Served on the Board of Directors for years and was active thru 2013. She Mentored new pilots at Byron, Truckee and Air Sailing and volunteered extensively.
As a way of remembering her, we have decided to rename our instructor award “The Monique Weil Instructor of the Year Award”
Monique Weil passed away December 12, 2024 at age 96. She bequeathed a sizable amount from her estate to NCSA.
Rest In Peace, Monique. Thank you for all you have done for us.
