(AP) - Cynthia Ryan, who helped coordinate the six-week search after famed aviator Steve Fossett went missing over the Nevada desert, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Nevada Civil Air Patrol.
Ryan and personnel from other agencies held twice-daily press briefings during the search for the 63-year-old Fossett, who disappeared Sept. 3.
Fossett took off from the Flying M Ranch near Yerington for what was supposed to be a brief joy ride. He never returned, and searchers have yet to find signs of him or his plane.
Ryan, 54, has been a member of Civil Air Patrol since 1994. She began her career as the spokeswoman for the Nevada Wing.
Besides her promotion, she also has been named an adviser to the Civil Air Patrol's national public affairs team.