Thursday, March 08, 2007

Harriet Quimby..(1875-1912) America's first licensed woman pilot..She was a great pilot.. Her greatest moment came at the worst time..April 16, 1912

Harriet Quimby..America's first woman pilot....1875-1912

Flying her plane in 1912


When Amelia Earhart was barely a teenager, Quimby was breaking the sexual role for pilots. Sadly her greatest moment came at the very worst time.





Going through the wreckage of her plane in July 1912...............
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She was the first in so many things...She led by example. She was the first woman to pass a flight test and get a flying licence on August 1, 1911...
She was the darling of the air. She was the first woman to cross the English Channel in 1912...April 16th to be exact. It was amazing news!!!!...It was a great story...It had all the earmarks of a world wide hero...Only one problem........
The Titanic sank the night before.....
Her flight became back page news...No one cared...
She was flying at the Boston Air Show on July 1, 1912, when her passenger fell out of the plane she was flying ...Having lost the balance she lost control of her plane and was thrown out of her plane and fell to her death... She flew for only 11 months exactly...But she was the one who paved the way for the others who would follow in the following generation.
In a way she was as much a victim of the Titanic as well...The ship robbed her of her fame and glory....But here I thought I would introduce to you one of the most forgotten aviation pioneers....Harriet Quimby.