Women in Aviation

Women have been a part of the history of aviation from the time of Katharine Wright (the Wright Brothers sister) and well into the present day. Katharine Wright held down 3 jobs and helped to finance her brothers experiments and test flights. The Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk occurred in December of 1903. And the development of flight and aviation saw more and more women becoming involved and breaking barriers.

Harriet Quimby became the first United States female licensed pilot in 1911. She was also the first female pilot to fly across the English Channel.

The Time period of 1920-1925 saw the rise of stunt flying due to decommissioned World War 1 aircraft becoming accessible to private owners and pilots. Phoebe Fairgrove and Ethel Dare became known for their skills in stunt flying and wing walking. Phoebe was featured in the 1927 motion picture series "The Perils of Pauline" which showcased her unique talents.

In 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first African-American/Native-American woman to earn a pilot's license. Women were still barred from earning their pilot's license Stateside, so many of them would travel to France for their flight training and licensing. Eventually that barrier was lifted.

1925-1935 saw the rise of the "powder puff air derby" in which female pilots would take part in cross-country air races.

In May of 1932, Amelia Earhart (pictured above) became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

In the 1940s, many women joined the volunteer service corps (the WAVES and the WASPS) as a part of the war effort in World War 2. These women worked in factories, helping to build the planes. Some even flew the planes from the factories to the military bases. About 6000 members of the WAVES were trained as Link Trainer operators, which meant that they were training the male pilots on how to read the instrument panels for the planes and also running flight simulators.

In the Soviet Union during World War 2, there was an all-female aviation unit that flew harassment and bombing missions against the German military during 1942-1945. Most of these women ranged in age from their late teens to early 20s. They flew over 800 missions and were nicknamed "The Night Witches" by the German troops.

In 1964, Geraldine Mock became the first female pilot to fly around the world.

From that point on, women all around the world have become pilots and astronauts, launching themselves into the skies and space, and becoming a vital part of the science, technology, and engineering....and inspiring the younger generations of women to enter these fields and make their mark in history!