Adela Stanisława Dankowska (born 5 January 1935 in Sobienie-Jeziory) is a retired Polish aviator and politician. She was a glider pilot and the coach of the Polish national gliding team, and also served as a member of Parliament.

Biography

Dankowska was born in Sobienie-Jeziory in

Lublin Voivodeship The Lublin Voivodeship, also known as the Lublin Province ( Polish: ''województwo lubelskie'' ), is a voivodeship (province) of Poland, located in southeastern part of the country. It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Lublin, C ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. She studied biology at the

Warsaw University of Life Sciences The Warsaw University of Life Sciences ( pl, Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego, lit=Main School of Rural Homestead, SGGW) is the largest agricultural university in Poland, established in 1816 in Warsaw. It employs over 2,600 staff including ...

, graduating in 1959, and learnt to fly at the Aero Club of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

. She held 12 world records during her flying career, and 43 Polish records, including the world record for distance travelled in a straight line, in 1977 (837 km) and the women's world record for height gain, in 1967 (8,430 m). She also held the record for the longest glider flight in Poland, reaching a distance of 837 km in 1974. From 1989 to 1991 Dankowska served as a member of the

Parliament of Poland The parliament of Poland is the bicameral legislature of Poland. It is composed of an upper house (the Senate) and a lower house (the Sejm). Both houses are accommodated in the ''Sejm'' complex in Warsaw. The Constitution of Poland does not re ...

. She has also served on the city council of Leźno and the city's regional council. She is a member of the National Council of Aviation and a member of the Air National Examination Board.

Recognition

In 1970, Dankowska received the Polish Silver Cross of Merit, and in 1975 she received the

Lilienthal Gliding Medal Lilienthal Gliding Medal – the highest soaring award in the world, established by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in 1938 in honour of Otto Lilienthal, a German pioneer of human aviation. It aims "to reward a particularly rema ...

for her achievements in the sport. In 1977 she received a medal from the province of

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

and in 1978 she received the Knight's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievement ...

. In 1981 she received the

Medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

of the National Education Commission (in Polish, Medal Komisji Edukacji Narodowej). She has also received six Gold Medals for outstanding achievements in

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dankowska, Adela 1935 births Living people People from Otwock County People from Lublin Voivodeship (1919–1939) Solidarity Citizens' Committee politicians Civic Platform politicians Members of the Contract Sejm 20th-century Polish women politicians Polish aviators Polish glider pilots Lilienthal Gliding Medal recipients Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta 20th-century Polish women Women aviators