Sabrina Jackintell

Sabrina Patricia Jackintell (31 January 1940 – 15 January 2012) was an American glider pilot. She still holds the women's record for highest altitude in a glder.^[1] She also attempted to break the Women's Land Speed Record.

Sabrina Jackintell
Born	(1940-01-31)January 31, 1940 Youngstown, Ohio
Died	January 15, 2012(2012-01-15) (aged 71) Sebring, Florida
Nationality	American
Education	Wilson High School, Youngstown
Alma mater	University of Florida, Gainesville
Occupation	Glider pilot
Known for	Current holder of Women's World Record Gliding Altitude
Spouse	Jerry E. Jackintell
Children	two

Personal life

Sabrina Jackintell (née Sadie Patricia Paluga) was born at Youngstown, Ohio. the second child of John and Sadie Skvarka Paluga. Her father was a steel worker who had emigrated from Czechoslovakia. She attended Wilson High School in Youngstown. She was a talented painter. One of her paintings was exhibited at the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Ohio, in 1956. She graduated from the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1960. While in college she began modelling and was featured on the cover of the fashion magazine, Vogue.^[2]

During her life, she lived in Ohio, Florida, Colorado (where she did most of her glider flying) and Southern California. She was married to Jerry E. Jackintell, also from Youngstown, and a fellow student at the University of Florida. They had a son, Jerry, and daughter, Lori. They divorced in El Paso County, Colorado, 9 June 1982.^[2]

In later life Sabrina also enjoyed collecting antiques, spending time with her dogs, and quilting.^[3]

Sabrina Jackintell died at Sebring, Florida, 15 January 2012 at the age of 71 from causes including complications from osteoporosis.^[2]

Land Speed Record attempt

In 1965 at the age of 25 she drove Art Arfons’s jet-powered Green Monster land speed record car at the Bonneville Salt Flats, at over 500 km/h (310 mph). Mechanical problems prevented the car from making a second pass in the opposite direction within the required time limit, so an official Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Land Speed Record was not set. A few days later her friend Betty Skelton drove the Cyclops, another of Art Arfon’s jet cars, both ways through the timing traps, giving Betty the official women’s land speed record at 446.63 km/h (277.52 mph).^[2]