With grit, passion and determination these ladies SOARED. Visit all 365 fabulous female flying feats… a full year of amazing anniversaries from women’s aviation. And you can SOAR too!
365 Female Flying Feats
Helen Richey Delivers The Mail
December 31, 1934 Helen Richey became the first woman to pilot a scheduled airmail flight, traveling from Washington, DC to Detroit, Michigan. Richey had set a women’s endurance record of over ten days with co-pilot Frances Marsalis and won the National Air Meet for Women.
Maryse Bastie Takes To The Air
December 30, 1936 Maryse Bastie flew from Dakar, Senegal to Natal, Brazil in 12 hours, 5 minutes. She was the first woman to fly solo across the south Atlantic. In 1931, she had won the Harmon Trophy as the world’s most distinguished aviatrix. She owned a flying school at Orly Airport. and served in the… Read more »
High Flier, Ruth Nichols
December 29, 1932 Ruth Nichols became the first woman pilot of a commercial passenger airline, flying for New York and New England Airlines. Nichols broke many other records, including beating Charles Lindbergh’s record for a cross country flight. During the course of her career she flew every type of aircraft from glider to supersonic jet.
Amelia Earhart Tries The Skies
December 28, 1920 Twenty-three year old Amelia Earhart went on her first airplane flight as a passenger, paying pilot Frank Hawks $10 for a ride at the California State Fair. “By the time I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground I knew I had to fly,” she said. A year later… Read more »
Reach For The Stars, Naoko Yamazaki
December 27, 1970 Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki was born in Matsudo, Japan. On April 5, 2010 Yamazaki flew into space as a member of the STS-131 crew, delivering the Leonardo large module to the International Space Station. She logged over 362 hours in space.
Louise Faure-Favier, a pen with wings
December 26, 1921 Aviation buff and journalist Louise Faure-Favier published the first in flight magazine, Guides des Voyages Aeriens, Paris-Londres. Faure-Favier wrote countless magazine articles and stories. Her most famous novel, Blanche et Noire, published in 1928, was a groundbreaking story about race relations.
Soar Rein-does!
December 25 The world’s premier all-female flight crew, commonly known as Santa’s Reindeer, have accomplished another global gift giving mission. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirms that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen are, in fact, Rein-does. “Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November… Read more »
Ruth Chatterton, The Flying Filmstar
December 24, 1893 Actress and aviatrix Ruth Chatterton was born. Chatterton was nominated for an Academy Award for her roles in Madam X and Sarah and Son. An avid pilot, she made several transcontinental solo flights and sponsored the Ruth Chatterton Air Derby, a test of precision flying.
Sophie Blanchard, Roman Candle
December 23, 1811 Sophie Blanchard, the world’s first female professional balloonist, took off in Rome, falling into a “profound sleep” and ascending to 11,000 feet. Blanchard was nervous and excitable on land but fearless in the air. After her husband’s death in a ballooning accident Sophie had taken over his exhibition business specializing in night… Read more »