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