About
About Adventure Write
Adventure Write was founded in 2007 by US Astronaut Bill “Billy O” Oefelein and Colleen Oefelein to promote the arts of writing and dancing, as well as education.
About Billy O
Bill “Billy O” Oefelein, pilot of Space Shuttle Discovery’s STS-116 mission to the International Space Station, logged over 308 hours in space. Hes’ also a retired TOPGUN Naval Aviator. An avid adventurer, he’s not only climbed several mountains, including Kilimanjaro, Mt. Whitney, and Aconcagua to name a few, he also completed the 1300 km Genghis Khan motorcycle trail through the Gobi desert and a 40-day meteorite-hunting expedition in Antarctica. Plus, he drove the Zamboni. Billy O was bitten by the aviation bug when he was just 14 years old, flying his first solo in a glider. Aviation Fever set in, and he never recovered. He’s now logged thousands of hours in nearly 60 types of aircraft, including over 200 carrier-arrested landings in the F-18. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University and a master’s in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee Space Institute.
About Colleen
Colleen Oefelein is a retired Air Force Officer who worked space launch at Cape Canaveral. She’s a chemical engineer and disabled veteran who has worked 911 dispatch for Alaska State Troopers and currently teaches Irish Dance. Also a homeschooling mom, she speaks German, can fly a helicopter, net a salmon, navigate a river, and hem a pair of pants. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she now lives in Alaska, but still roots for the Steelers and Penguins. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering with a focus in Biotechnology, and a BS in German, both from Penn State University. She also has one pointed ear.