In the century after Blanche Scott accidentally became the first female to pilot and solo in an airplane, we have seen many accomplishments made by women in every corner of the world.
In the spirit of 2019's National Women's Month, we give a shout-out to the all of the female pilots, CFIs, students and alumni that Academy of Aviation and the aeronautics world has had the honor of recognizing.
There are many historical and current online niches that go into vastly more detail about the
history of
women and aviation than we could possibly do here, and we encourage everybody to go out and get
that
education as there are tons of interesting and amazing stories, but a few of our favorite
resources for
you to find out more are:
The Ninety-Nines: an international
organization of licensed women pilots.
Women in Aviation: dedicated to the
encouragement and
advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests.
Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week:
Celebrate
the anniversary of the world's first female pilot license.
Some Famous American Female Pilots That We Need To Mention:
Amelia Earhart
The most recognizable name in the history of aviation, Amelia Earhart's mystery is still ingrained in the minds of pilots and civilians everywhere. After her plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, en route to tiny Howland Island during a 30,000 mile trip around the world in a twin-engine Electra in July of 1937, researchers and historians have been consumed with the idea of finding out exactly what happened. From blurry photos on a dock on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands to landing gear on deserted Gardner Island, to a skeleton of a castaway found on the island of Nikumaroro, Kiribati in 1940, the mystery of the disappearance of Amelia Earhart continues to baffle the modern world.
Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman
The first black woman to earn a pilot's license, Bessie Coleman did more than just routinely fly airplanes. In the years when aviation was new, dangerous, and discriminatory, Bessie's stunt flying and parachuting career wowed audiences all over the world.
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
In the 16 months that WASP existed, over 1000 women completed the grueling training program to become service pilots-- only to be disbanded in 1944 because of controversy and dispute in the male dominated military world. It wasn't until 1977 that President Jimmy Carter signed a bill that recognized WASP service as active duty in the armed forces.
At Academy of Aviation, our female staff and students are like any other-- focused, professional and skilled-- so it's second nature to see them in and around our school and airfield. But compared to earlier in history, when it was either uncommon or even taboo to see women taking on these roles, we look at every female doing what was once considered "a man's job" with both pride and honor. We'd like to share a glimpse into life at Academy of Aviation through the eyes of our female personnel. Scroll through the photos below, and we hope that the men don't feel too left out of this one!
