Women in Aviation from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
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Women in aviation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Women have been involved in aviation from the beginnings of both lighter-than air travel and as airplanes, helicopters and space travel were developed. Women pilots were also called "aviatrices" (singular: "aviatrix"). Women have been flying powered aircraft since 1908, however most, prior to 1970, were restricted to working privately or in support roles in the aviation industry.[1] Aviation also allowed women to "travel alone on unprecedented The United States Air Force's first African journeys."[2] Women who have been American female fighter pilot, Shawna Rochelle successful in various aviation fields have Kimbrell. served as mentors to younger women, helping them along in their careers.[3] Within the first two decades of powered flight, women on every continent except Antarctica had begun to fly, perform in aerial shows, parachute, and even transport passengers. They were increasingly involved in establishing distance records, aerobatic records and pressing for airplanes to be used for disaster and public health services. During World War II, women from every continent helped with war efforts and though mostly restricted from military flight many of the female pilots flew in auxiliary services. In the 1950s and 1960s, women were primarily restricted to serving in support fields like flight simulation training, air traffic control, and as flight attendants. Since the 1970s, women have been allowed to participate in military service in most countries. Women's participation in the field of aviation has increased over the years. In the United States, in 1930, there were around 200 women pilots but in five years there were more than 700.[4] Women of Aviation Worldwide Week has reported that after 1980, the increase in gender parity for women pilots in the United States has been stagnant.[5] Women flying commercial airlines in India make up 11.6% of all pilots, significantly further ahead than the global number of women airline pilots which is 3%.[6] Contents 1 History 1.1 1910s 1.2 1920s 1.3 1930s 1.4 1940s decade 1.5 1950s 1.6 1960s 1.7 1970s 1.8 Close of the twentieth century 2 Modern day 3 Sexism 4 See also 5 References 5.1 Citations 5.2 Bibliography 6 Further reading History The first woman known to fly was Élisabeth Thible, who was a passenger in an untethered hot air balloon, which flew above Lyon, France in 1784.[7] Four years later, Jeanne Labrosse became the first woman to fly solo in a balloon and would become the first woman to parachute, as well.[8][9] Sophie Blanchard took her first balloon flight in 1804, was performing as a professional aeronaut by 1810 Aida de Acosta, 1903 flying and was made Napoleon's chief of air service in 1811.[10] Alberto Santos-Dumont's Blanchard, the first woman who was a professional in the airship N° 9 air, died in a spectacular crash in 1819.[11] In June 1903, Aida de Acosta, an American woman vacationing in Paris, convinced Alberto Santos-Dumont, pioneer of dirigibles to allow her to pilot his airship, becoming probably the first woman to pilot a motorized aircraft.[12] The first machine-powered flight was accomplished by the Wright Brothers on December 17, 1903. Both brothers felt that it was important to recognize the contributions of Katherine Wright to their work.[13] She found teachers who could help with the Wright's flying experiments.[14] Katherine, while she didn't fly with her brothers until later in 1909,[13] knew "everything about the working of their machines."[15] Katherine supported them financially, giving them her savings and also supported them emotionally.[16] When Orville Wright was injured in 1908, Katherine moved close to the hospital to take care of him.[17] Later, after the Wright brothers patented their aircraft in 1906, she worked as their executive secretary.[14] In 1909, she flew to Europe to become the social manager for her brothers.[14] Her brothers were very introverted and relied on Katherine to help promote their work.[18] Katherine was considered the "silent partner" of the Wright Brothers by The World Magazine.[15] The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch called her the "inspiration of her brothers in their experiments."[19] Starting 1906, another inventor of aircraft, Emma Lilian Todd began designing her own airplanes.[20] Todd first started studying dirigibles before she moved onto designing airplanes.[21] Todd's first plane flew in 1910 and was piloted by Didier Masson.[20] A woman who was an early parachutist, Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick started working with barnstormer, Charles Broadwick at age 15 in Wilbur and Katharine Wright 1908.[22][23] She made her first jump in 1908, and in 1913, seated in the Wright Model A became the first woman to jump from an aircraft.[23][22] Flyer with Orville Wright Broadwick, in 1914, was also the person who gave the first standing nearby. This was demonstrations of parachute jumping to the United States Katharine's first time flying. [23] Her skirt is tied with a string. government. When she retired in 1922, she had completed 1,100 jumps.[22] The first woman passenger in an airplane was Mlle P. Van Pottelsberghe de la Poterie who flew with Henri Farman on several short flights at an airshow in Ghent, Belgium between May and June 1908. Soon after, in July, 1908, sculptor Thérèse Peltier was taken up as a passenger by Léon Delagrange[24] and within a few months had been reported as making a solo flight in Turin, Italy, flying around 200 meters in a straight line about two and a half meters off the ground. Edith Berg, an American, who flew as a passenger with Wilbur Wright in Paris in October 1908, was the inspiration of the hobble skirt designed by Paul Poiret. [25][26] 1910s Early pioneers include French Raymonde de Laroche, the world's first licensed female pilot on March 8, 1910.[13][9] Seven other French women followed her, earning pilot's licenses within the next year.[27] One of these, Marie Marvingt, 3rd Frenchwoman licensed for airplanes,[28] but first French woman balloonist licensed in 1901,[29] became the first woman to fly in combat completing bombing raids over Germany.[30][31] Marvingt tried to get the government to outfit air ambulances prior to the war and became the world first certified Flight Nurse.[31] Hélène Dutrieu became the first woman pilot in Belgium, obtaining the 27th license issued in her country in Hélène Dutrieu, 1911 1910 and the second female licensed in Europe.[32][33] Later that same year, she became the first woman to fly with a passenger.[9] In 1910, even before she earned her pilot's license, Lilian Bland a British woman living in Northern Ireland, designed and flew a glider in Belfast.[34] Blanche Scott always claimed to be the first American woman to fly an airplane, but as she was seated when a gust of wind took her up on her brief flight in September 1910, the "accidental" flight went unrecognized.[35] Within two years, she had established herself as a daredevil pilot and was known as the "Tomboy of the Air",[36] competing in air shows and exhibitions, as well as flying circuses.[37][36] On October 13, 1910, Bessica Raiche received a gold medal from the Aeronautical Society of New York, recognizing her as the first American woman to make a solo flight.[38] Harriet Quimby became the USA's first licensed female pilot on August 1, 1911 and the first woman to cross the English Channel by airplane the following year.[39] Thirteen days after Quimby,[40] her friend Matilde E. Moisant an American of French Canadian descent[41] was licensed and began flying in air shows. She broke a world altitude record in 1911.[42] Within a fortnight, Lidia Zvereva had obtained the first female Russian license[43] and by 1914 she performed the first aerobatic loop made by a woman.[44] Hilda Hewlett became the first British woman to earn a pilot's license on August 29, 1911 and taught her son to fly that same year.[9] In September 1910, Melli Beese became Germany's first woman pilot and[45] the following year began designing her first airplane which was produced in 1913.[46] On October Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick, 10, 1911, Božena Laglerová a Czech native of Prague, early parachutist, 1913 obtained the first Austrian license for a woman and nine days later secured the second German license for a woman.[47] On 7 December 1910 Jane Herveu, who had previously been involved in automobile racing was licensed in France and began participating in the Femina Cup.[48] Rosina Ferrario, first female pilot of Italy, earned her license on January 3, 1913 and was as unsuccessful as Marvingt had been to get her government or the Red Cross to allow women to transport wounded soldiers during World War I.[49] Elena Caragiani-Stoenescu, Romania's first woman pilot got the same response from her government about flying for the war effort and turned to journalism.[50] On December 1, 1913, Lyubov Golanchikova signed a contract to become the first female test pilot. She agreed to test "Farman-22" aircraft manufactured in the Chervonskaya airplane workshop of Fedor Fedorovich Tereshchenko[51] The first woman on the African Continent to earn a pilot's license was Ann Maria Bocciarelli of Kimberley, South Africa.[52] In 1916, Zhang Xiahun (Chinese: 張俠魂) became China's first female pilot when she attended an airshow of the Nanyuan Aviation School and insisted that she be allowed to fly.