Pilot Dianna Stanger Sends Aggies to Soaring New Heights

Dianna Stanger fell in love with flying in the early 1990s when she learned to pilot a helicopter. Having since earned numerous licenses for other types of aircraft, the Michigan native is extending her love of flight to supporting Texas A&M University aerospace engineering doctoral students.

Stanger, who owns Darkstar Air Racing, has won the prestigious Reno Air Races twice, flying at speeds exceeding 500 mph. She has also received commendations for her management of Calhoun County Airport in Port Lavaca, Texas, and won hearts by assisting charities with transporting critical care patients and rescue dogs by air.
 

Her connection to Texas A&M occurred by happenstance in the mid-1990s after she invited local K-12 students to tour the Calhoun County Airport. One of those teenagers was Darren Hartl, who later earned his doctorate from Texas A&M in 2009 and joined the aerospace engineering faculty.

Having stayed connected to Stanger, Hartl invited her to see what the department was doing. She remembers that visit as “hitting all the points that make Texas A&M special,” which prompted her to create a graduate fellowship to help aerospace doctoral students gain altitude for their careers.

Excited about the possibilities, Stanger plans to remain involved with the College of Engineering. “It’s been quite enjoyable to see how the university keeps evolving,” she explained. “It’s my Disneyland; I love going to Texas A&M.”