In the U.S., we celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12. What a terrific time to remember some of the adventurous female aviators! These women in aviation pioneered the field before women even had the right to vote. Amelia Earhart is a household name in aviation, but many women before her paved the way for her famous solo Atlantic flight.
Here are just a few of the influential women in aviation history:
Raymonde de Laroche
Born in Paris, Laroche originally pursued a stage career before falling in love with flying during a flight demonstration by Wilbur Wright. She went on to become the first woman in the world to earn her pilot’s license in 1910 at the age of 24. Laroche suffered serious injuries after a crash, but didn’t let it keep her out of the sky. She went on to train to become the first female test pilot.
Harriet Quimby
Harriet’s job as a reporter in New York City brought her in contact with a flight instructor, who Harriet asked to give her flying lessons. She showed a knack for flying, especially at a time when most learning was done through experimentation in the air. Harriet became the first American woman to earn her pilot’s license, and she also became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. The accomplishment earned her the title of “America’s First Lady of the Air.”
Bessie Coleman
Bessie was working as a manicurist in Chicago when she first heard stories from the pilots returning from WWI. When she was unable to get into flight training because she was an African-American woman, she traveled to France to train as a pilot. In 1921, she was not only the first black woman to gain her pilot’s license—she was also the first ever American to gain an international pilot’s license. She joined the exhibition circuit as a stunt flyer, hoping to make enough money to start her own school for aspiring black pilots. Bessie didn’t live long enough to make that dream come true, but she did inspire generations of pilots after her.
These few examples show us that women have been in aviation for a long time. They’ve helped pave the path for both men and women in aviation today, from the pilots of commercial aircraft to those in a private jet. To learn more about women in aviation, check out the terrific resources on Women in Aviation International’s website, including their list of 100 most influential women aviators.