Which female holds the record for the fastest quarter mile by a woman?
It looks like Eileen Collins, astronaut: The woman to fly the fastest for many years was Jackie Cochran, who flew 842 mph in 1961. That record stood for many years. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, although those days there was actually little flying done by astronauts during the fastest part of their missions. Today’s aeronautical records aren’t divided into male and female categories. There are many women who fly supersonic fighter jets in the Air Force and Navy, for instance, who have likely flown faster than 1,400 mph. Of course, the ultimate would probably be held by Eileen Collins, who in 1999 commanded the space shuttle Columbia. Since that shuttle flies at approximately 17,000 mph at some points, that would certainly make her a contender for that accomplishment.
