Women are the forgotten pioneers of flight. Each week in March we celebrate The Women of Aviation Week when we are reminded of the outstanding achievement of female pilots who are outstanding aeronautical heroes.
Women in Flight
The accomplishments of women in aviation, both past and present, shouldn’t be just a week-long event but important landmarks in history that we can pass down to stimulate women to become the future of aviation.
A recent pilot poll conducted revealed that only 3% of pilots are women, with fewer still piloting private planes. The Women of Aviation Week and subsequent articles are designed to raise awareness of aviation opportunities available to all ages; introducing and promoting women to all the opportunities that aviation offers.
We’ve reviewed some of the most famous women who made their mark in both early aviation to present-day triumphs, all have very interesting stories to tell. Hold on to your pilot’s licence, you’re about to be educated!
Amelia Earhart
Probably the most famous woman in aviation, and one of the first names that come to mind when talking about women in aviation, Amelia Earhart was only the 16th woman to earn her pilot license and became the first woman to fly across both North America and solo across the Atlantic.
Unfortunately, her story ends in mystery as she disappeared during her second attempt to fly the longest route around the world.
Raymonde de Laroche
Raymonde de Laroche was French and the proud holder of the 36th aeroplane pilot's licence issued by the Aeroclub de France; the world's first organization to issue pilot licences. At the time pilot licences were only required for pilots operating aircraft for commercial purposes.
Competing in the Coupe Femina, she won the 1913 award with a flight of over four hours, continuing on to set two world records in 1919 for longest flight by a woman, with a distance of 201 miles and for reaching an altitude of 15,700 feet.
Jacqueline Cochran
Jacqueline Cochran was the first woman to break the sound barrier, with her lifelong friend Chuck Yeager flying in the chase plane. She went on to set more speed, altitude and distance records than any other pilot, male or female. More importantly, Cochran was extremely influential to the era of modern aviation. Before the US involvement in WWII, she proposed a program to allow women pilots to staff non-combat duties, similar to the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).
Today her name lives on in the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Palm Springs, CA.
Bessie Coleman
Elizabeth Coleman had to overcome many challenges to become the first African American woman to earn a pilot license. Being a black woman she was unable to gain admission to flight schools in the US. Unperturbed she learned French and was taught to fly in Paris. She earned her license in 1921 and returned to America to give demonstrations at air shows and promote female aviation.
Emily Howell Warner
In 1973, according to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Frontier Airlines made Warner the first female commercial airline pilot. Unprecedented at the time, this act opened doors for other women to take on similar roles within the next decade. Warner became the first female U.S. airline captain in 1976, flying a Twin Otter; a notoriously difficult plane to fly as it is a high-wing, twin-engine, turboprop aircraft. They are used all over the world and are known for their rugged construction, reliability and short take-off and landing performance.
Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian American astronaut and the first Indian to fly into space.
According to the University of Texas at Arlington, where Chawla was an alumnus, in 1997 she flew on the space shuttle Columbia as a mission specialist and the robotic arm operator. In 2003 she again flew into space aboard the ill-fated space shuttle. Unfortunately, this time the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere and all seven crew members lost their lives. Chawla was awarded the Congressional space medal of honour after her death.
It is important to remember the contributions given in both life and death to aviation. Femalefirst.co.uk celebrates the outstanding achievements of these amazing women - not just one week a year but every day of every year. The promotion of women in this way, in turn, inspires the next generation of women to go on and earn their stripes.
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