Harriet Quimby

[red750]

Most people, especially those in the flying fraternity, have heard of Amy Johnson and Amelia Earhart, but I don't think many outside the US would have heard of Harriet Quimby.

 

Harriet was born in 1875, and began flying lessons in 1911. She became the first woman in the US to achieve a pilots licence. She immediately joined the exhibition circuit, flying at meets in the US and Mexico. In 1912, she travelled to England and on April 16, 1912, became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, from Dover to the French coast near Calais, only 3 years after Bleriot made the crossing in the opposite direction.

 

However, this epic achievement was overshadowed by the sinking of Titanic the day before, and was not reported in the press.

 

Ten weeks later, on July 1, Harriet was flying at an exhibition carrying the event's manager. Her plane nosedived over into an outside loop, throwing the manager, then Harriet out of the aircraft to their deaths. The plane landed with minor damage. They were not wearing restraints.

 

Harriet climbing into her Bleriot monoplane.