ISA AIRLINE FEMALE FIRSTS LIST The following airline industry data is correct to the best of our knowledge. It was maintained until 1990 when women were finally being hired more frequently by major airlines around the globe. FIRSTS BY COUNTRY (Through the 1980s) Australia Deborah Lawrie 11-05-79 Bangladesh Kaniz Fatema Roksana 03/80 Belgium Vladimira Vitek 1980 Britain: Yvonne Pope Sinte Morton Air Services 1972 Bulgaria Maria Atanasova 1953 (photo 4-4-66) Canada Rosella Bjornson 04-16-73 F28 China Wang Zhiqian 2006? Czech Republic Vlasta Diblíková Finland Kirsi Arve-Inkinen 01-16-84 France Danielle Decure 04-07-75 Great Britain/UK Yvonne Pope Sintes 1972 Greece Sofianna Karamali 08/82 Iceland Sigridur Einarsdottiv 12-03-84 India Prem Mathur 1947 Deccan, Indian Airline Durba Banerjee 1956 Ireland Gráinne Cronin 10-10-77 Italy Fiorenza de Bernardi 01-01-67 Jamaica Maria Ziadie Haddad 03-05-79 Japan Ari Fuji 1999 1 FIRSTS BY COUNTRY (Continued) Jordan Taghrid Akasheh 09-01-75 Malta Maria Theresa Desira 03-10-75 Mexico Conchita Bernard 04-01-86 (Berta Zeron de Garcia tried twenty years, but there was always an excuse not to hire her.) Netherlands Marlies Verkaik 04-01-78 Cockie van Gessel 1988 Transavia New Zealand Susan Truman 01-20-80 Nigeria Hadiza Oboh 08-24-84 Pakistan Shukriya Khanum 1959 Poland Adela Szarzec-Tragarz 11-16-81 Russia (Latvia) Lyubov Ulanova 04-26-73?69? IL-18 Saudi Arabia Yasmeen Al-Maimani 2019 Scandinavia Turi Widerøe 1969 (First in Europe) Switzerland Susan Schmid 04-01-86 United States Helen Richey* 12-31-34 Emily Howell Warner 01-29-73 Venezuela Juanita Martinez 06-01-79 West Germany Renaté Moore Natson 02-09-88 *Helen Richey is believed to be the first documented female pilot to fly for a scheduled United States airline. She flew for Central Airlines (later named Capitol Airlines) in December 31, 1934 on a Ford Trimotor where she was restricted to VFR flights only. Helen resigned the same year, after the all male union would not let her join. Richey was a member of both the WASP and the Ninety Nines. She died at age 37 on January 7, 1947. Her death was by an overdose of pills…an apparent suicide. 2 Helen Richey In the early 1900s, the novelty of airplanes and the novelty of women leaving their homes unsupervised for the first time combined to create a Golden Age for women in aviation. Amelia Earhart, Harriet Quimby, Bessie Coleman, Louise Thaden – these pioneering women took to the skies. Helen Richey was one of those women. Richey was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the county superintendent. She was the only girl at her school who wore pants and once, ran off to join the circus. She returned home and decided to focus, instead, on flying. She became a well-regarded stunt flyer who won her first competitive flight after only 30 hours of training. Richey and her flight partner, Frances Marsalis broke the record for longest flight—237 hours and 43 minutes, thanks to in-air refueling. Twice during the flight, Richey had to climb outside the cockpit to repair parts of the wing. In 1934, Richey became the first woman to get her commercial pilot license in the United States, breaking out of stunt flying and into a “regular job” as an airline pilot. Richey quickly realized her new role was mostly a publicity stunt for Pennsylvania Central Airlines, and she wouldn’t actually spend much time in the air. It was a frustrating experience for Richey. The federal Bureau of Air Commerce grounded Richey’s flights, citing “bad weather” that somehow didn’t affect any other pilots. Male pilots threatened to go on strike because of her presence on the staff. She ended up flying just once or twice a month despite her qualifications. Richey quit after a year. But she wasn’t grounded for long. She resumed her stunt career, including co- captaining a race with Amelia Earhart. She flew for the federal government, looking for rooftops they could paint aerial markers on. And like so many women, she found career opportunities in World War II. Richey was the only woman to get an instructor’s license to teach Air Force cadets and eventually came to lead the British version of the WASP. Her letters and biographers concur that these were the happiest days of her life. Finally, she had the chance to use her immense skill and talent. But when the war ended, the market was flooded with military pilots looking for work. Women were less in demand than ever. Richey couldn’t find work and became increasingly depressed. In 1947, Helen Richey, the first female commercial pilot in the United States, apparently died by suicide (pill overdose) in her New York apartment, although the detective on the case said she had been ill for some time. She was 38. (Google Helen Richey for More inforMation, as Most of this is froM WikiPedia and other sources.) 3 FIRSTS BY AIRLINE (through the 1980s) Aer Lingus Grainne Cronin 10-10-77 Aero America Helene de St. Genois 10-30-78 Aero Mexico Elizabeth Abadie Vasquez 12-08-80 Aeroflot Lyubov Ulanova 04-26-73 (Or 69?) IL-18 Air Cal Judy Koenig 03-19-79 Air Canada Judy Cameron 04-10-78 Air France Danielle Decure 04-07-75 Airgo Gloria LaRoche 04-20-77 Air Illinois Emily Jones 06-1977 DHC-6 Twin Otter Air Jamaica Maria Ziade Haddad 03-05-79 Air Malta Maria Theresa Desira 09/88 Air New Zealand Susan Truman 02-20-80 Alaska JoAnne Osterrud Nottke 03-10-75 DHC-6 Alitalia Antonelle Celetti 07-25-1989 Aloha Madelaine “Mimi” Tompkins 06-04-79 America West Debra McCormick 00-07-83 B737 American Airlines Bonnie Tiburzi 03-30-73 B737 Ansett Deborah Jane Lawrie (Wardley) 11-05-79 Aspen Airways Sharon Finch 10/79 Bahamsair Patrice Clark 10-01-84 Biman Bangladesh Kaniz Fatema Roksana 03/80 Braniff Sandra Saliba Simmons 03-19-74 B727 British Airways Jill Develin 03/87 British Caladonian Ann Lloyd-Bostock 1976 BAC-11 Cam Air International Judith Stanton 05-16-85 Canadian Pacific Barbara Green 07-28-89 4 FIRSTS BY AIRLINE (continued) Central Airlines Helen Richey 12-31-1934 Ford Trimotor Conpagnie Transport Susan Schmid 04-01-86 Connie Kalitta Gloria LaRoche 01-03-86 Continental Mary Hirsch 02-28-77 Deccan Airways Prem Mathur 1947 Delta Air Lines Joy Walker 07-02-73 DC-9 DHL Charlene Sammes-Singleton 06-07-89 Eastern Airlines Barbara Barrett Smith 05-14-73 Evergreen Sheffie Worboys 05-14-79 Federal Express Keith Johnson 04-17-78 Finnair Kirsi Arve-Inkinen 02-16-84 Flying Tigers Norah O’Neill 12-01-76 Frontier Emily Howell Warner 01-29-73 737 S/O, F/O Twin Otter Gulf Air Dena Stewart 05-12-86 Hawaiian Airlines Sharon Emminger 11-01-78 SD330 Iceland Air Sigridur Einarsdottir 12-03-84 Indian Airlines Prem Mathur 1953 Durba Banerjee 1956, CA 8/06/66 F27 Interstate Gloria LaRoche 09-22-81 JAL Express Ari Fuji 1999 Key Elizabeth Corbett Wilson 07/1981 KLM Marlies Verkaik 04-01-78 LOT Adla Szarzec-Tragarz 11-16-81 Lufthansa Renate Moore Natson 02-09-88 Mexicana Conchita Bernard 03-10-75 Midway Sharon Finch Bigelow 01-15-82 DC-9 Midwest Express Tanya Cunningham 1988 DC-9 National Susan Horstman 02-05-79 New York Air Linda Smith 1985 5 Nigerian Hadiza Oboh 08-24-84 Nordair Stephanie Crampton 10-24-78 Northwest Orient Abigail Davis 03-19-79 B727 Olympic Sofianna Karmalis 08-82 Orion Tracey Rice 08-01-82 Ozark Airlines Jacqueline Gerber 1974 Pacific Southwest Sari Schneph 06-15-81 Pan Am (*) Colleen Burgess 04-22-87 B727 PEOPLExpress Beverly Burns (Himmelfarb) 08-10-81 B737 Lynn Rippelmeyer 08-10-81 B737 Piedmont Airlines Cheryl Faye Ritchie Peters 06-14-74 YS-11 PSA Sari Schneph 1981 B727 Qantas Sharelle Quinn 1984 Ann Bennett Republic Airlines Barbara Wiley (Cook) 1974 CV580 Reno Air Theresa Mally 1992 MD-580 SAS Turi Widerøe 1969 DC-9 (Scandinavian Airline System) Seaboard World Karen Davies DC-8 Southern Charlotte Wall Southwest Airlines Cathy Jones 1982 B737 Spirit Janet Patton 04-1996 Texas International Marcelyn Biship 1978 Trans World Airlines Karen Davies Lee 1978 United Airlines Gail Gorski 01-09-78 B737 US Airways Joyce Strippp 1979 BAC111 Western Airlines Terry London Rinehart 03-08-76 Valerie Walker 03-08-76 Susan Hortsman was first hired by National in 1979 and would have been considered the first woman flying for Pan Am after the two airlines merged. However, Colleen Burgess is the first woman hired by Pan Am after the merger. 6 NOTABLE WOMAN AIRLINE PILOT FIRSTS First Female Airline Pilot USA (Major) Bonnie Tiburzi American 03-30-73 First Female captain USA (scheduled) Emily H. Warner Frontier 06-09-76 Twin Otter First Female Jet Captain USA Cheryl Faye Peters. Piedmont 05-10-82 First All-Female Airline Flight Caroline Frost British Air Ferries 10-31-77 (Southend to Dusseldorf) First All Female Flight USA Captain Emily Jones. Air Illinois 12-30-77 DHC-6 Twin Otter F/O Lynn Rippelmeyer, F/A Barbie Hoffman Second All Female Flight US Sherry Emminger. Hawaiian Air 03-06-79 SD-330 F/O Karen Squyres, F/A Trudi Asada Third All-Female Flight USA CA Cheryl Faye Ritchie Peters Piedmont 07-10-82 B737 F/O Rebecca Rose Schroeder, F/As Paula Lanier, Dolly Wenat, Cindy Perry India on 27th November 1985, when Capt Saudamini Deshmukh, Nivedita Bhasin, and two lady cabin crew, Shikha Rouchoudhury and Karobi Pathak flew the F27 from Calcutta to Silchar, it became the First All women crew flight in the World, to he operated by am IATA Airline.