Women Aviators
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Throughout history, there have been many women aviators who have made significant contribution to the field. The list includes many familiar and great female aviators such as Amelia Earhart, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Jean Batten, Bessie Coleman, Betty Ong.The women aviators featured in this list are from United States, United Kingdom, Canada & Australia and many more countries.
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1
Amelia Earhart(The First Female Aviator to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean)
Birthdate: July 24, 1897
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas, United States
Died: January 5, 1939
Amelia Earhart became the first female pilot to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight, in 1932. A champion for equal rights, Amelia later wrote best-selling memoirs and contributed to the women pilot’s group The Ninety-Nines. In 1937, Amelia disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean and was later declared dead.
2
Bessie Coleman(American Civil Aviator and the First African-American Woman to Hold a Pilot License)
Birthdate: January 26, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Atlanta, Texas, United States
Died: April 30, 1926
Bessie Coleman was an American civil aviator and the first African-American woman to hold a pilot license. Nicknamed Queen Bess, Coleman became a high-profile pilot in the air shows organized in the United States. Bessie Coleman died at the age of 34 in a plane crash. Her efforts to promote aviation inspired the Native American communities.
3
Susan Oliver
(American Actress and Aviator)
Birthdate: February 13, 1932
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: May 10, 1990
Susan Oliver was an American actress, aviator, and television director. She achieved popularity after appearing in popular TV series like Star Trek. Susan Oliver also achieved fame as an aviator; in 1967, she became only the fourth woman to fly a single-engined airplane solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
4
Anne Morrow Lindbergh(American Aviator and Writer Who Became the First Woman to Receive a U.S. Glider Pilot License)
Birthdate: June 22, 1906
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Englewood, New Jersey
Died: February 7, 2001
Anne Morrow Lindbergh was an American aviator and writer. She is best remembered for her exploratory flights along with her husband and pioneer aviator, Charles Lindbergh. Anne was the first woman to earn a US glider pilot license in 1930. In 1996, Anne Morrow Lindbergh was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
5
Betty Ong
(American Flight Attendant Who was the First Person to Alert Authorities About September 11, 2001 Plane Hijackings)
Birthdate: February 5, 1956
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: September 11, 2001
Betty Ong was an American flight attendant who was declared a hero by the 9/11 Commission after the September 11 attacks. Ong was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists on 11 September 2001. Betty Ong notified the ground crew of the hijacking, becoming the first person to alert the authorities.
Birthdate: July 1, 1903
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died: January 5, 1941
7
Hanna Reitsch(Aviator, Test Pilot, and the First German Woman to Win a Captain’s Licence)
Birthdate: March 29, 1912
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Jelenia Góra, Poland
Died: August 24, 1979
It is believed Hanna Reitsch, eager to fly, had almost jumped off her balcony at 4. She was named Stratosphere by her flying-school classmates. A Nazi aviator and test pilot, she was given poisonous capsules by Hitler when the Red Army was taking over Berlin, but didn’t commit suicide.
8
MJ Hegar
(US Air Force Veteran, Bestselling Author, and Former Democratic Candidate)
Birthdate: March 16, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
US Air Force veteran MJ Hegar has also been a Democratic candidate for the 2020 US Senate election for Texas. Known for her bestselling autobiography Shoot Like a Girl, she was awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for her fearless military service in Afghanistan, where she was shot at.
9
Night Witches
(Harassment and tactical bombing)
10
Beryl Markham
(Renowned aviator and author who was the first woman to fly an east-to-west solo route across the Atlantic Ocean)
Birthdate: October 26, 1902
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rutland, England, United Kingdom
Died: August 3, 1986
11
Jean Batten(Aviator Who Made Record Breaking Trans-world Flights)
Birthdate: September 15, 1909
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rotorua, New Zealand
Died: November 22, 1982
Born to a dentist father in New Zealand, Jean Batten was initially sent to England to study music. However, she earned a pilot’s license instead and made many aviation records, which included completing the first solo flight from England to New Zealand. In her final years, she became a recluse.
12
Sara Netanyahu
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: November 5, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kiryat Tiv'on
Sara Netanyahu is an Israeli educational and career psychologist. She is married to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She is the daughter of a Polish-born Israeli Jewish educator. She has worked as a psychotechnical evaluator and an educational psychologist. She has received much negative media attention for the mistreatment of her staff.
Birthdate: March 21, 1913
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bursa, Turkey
Died: March 22, 2001
14
Geraldyn M Cobb
(American Aviation Pioneer Who Was the First Woman to Pass Astronaut Testing)
Birthdate: March 5, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Norman, USA
Died: March 18, 2019
American aviation pioneer Geraldyn M. Cobb was part of the pathbreaking Mercury 13 program and scripted history as the first female candidate to pass astronaut testing. She had a pilot’s license by 18 and later found new air routes to the Andes and the Amazon rain forests and immersed herself in humanitarian work.
15
Jacqueline Cochran
(The First Female Pilot Who Broke the Sound Barrier)
Birthdate: May 11, 1906
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Muscogee, Cantonment, Florida, United States
Died: August 9, 1980
A pioneer in women’s aviation, US pilot Jacqueline Cochran was the first female pilot to break the sound barrier. She was also the first woman to lead the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale as its president and the first female Bendix race competitor. She held several other records and also led the organization WASP.
16
Samantha Cristoforetti
(Astronaut, Aviator, Engineer)
Birthdate: April 26, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Milan
17
Lydia Litvyak
(Fighter pilot)
Birthdate: August 18, 1921
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: August 1, 1943
18
Harriet Quimby
(The First Female Pilot to Fly across the English Channel)
Birthdate: May 11, 1875
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Arcadia, Michigan, United States
Died: July 1, 1912
Women’s aviation pioneer, Harriet Quimby became the first female pilot to complete a flight across the English Channel. Starting her career as a journalist for Dramatic Review, she later worked as a drama critic for Leslie’s Weekly, before stepping into aviation. She was killed when her aircraft lost control over Dorchester Bay.
19
Pancho Barnes
(Pathbreaking US Aviator, Film Stunt Pilot, and Businesswoman)
Birthdate: July 22, 1901
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pasadena, California, United States
Died: March 30, 1975
Pioneering US aviator and female movie stunt pilot Pancho Barnes helped develop the first film stunt pilots’ union. The granddaughter of aeronaut and inventor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, she launched the guest ranch Happy Bottom Riding Club. Her nickname Pancho helped her disguise herself as a man in Mexico in her initial days.
20
Svetlana Savitskaya
(First Woman to Fly to Space Twice and the First Woman to Perform Spacewalk)
Birthdate: August 8, 1948
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
In 1982 Russian former aviator and Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya flew to space aboard Soyuz T-7 becoming the second woman to fly to space. She again went to space during Soyuz T-12 mission and this time she not only achieved the feat of becoming the first woman to fly to space twice but also the first woman to perform spacewalk.
21
Sussan Ley
(Australian Politician and Liberal Party MP)
Birthdate: December 14, 1961
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kano
British-origin Australian politician Sussan Ley was born in Nigeria and raised in the UAE and England, before moving to Australia in her teens. The Liberal Party deputy leader went on to represent Farrer in the Australian Parliament after managing ministries such as health, aged care, environment, and sport.
22
Marina Raskova
(Navigator)
Birthdate: March 28, 1912
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Russian Empire
Died: January 4, 1943
23
Aloha Wanderwell
(Explorer)
Birthdate: October 13, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada
Died: June 4, 1996
Aloha Wanderwell was a Canadian-American explorer, aviator, author, and filmmaker. In 1927, she became the first woman to travel around the world in a Ford 1918 Model T, at the age of 21. When she was 16, she undertook a journey, in which she traveled across 80 countries. Wanderwell is also remembered for making films like My Hawaii.
24
Beate Uhse-Rotermund
(German Pilot, Sex Pioneer, and Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: October 25, 1919
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wargenau, East Prussia
Died: July 16, 2001
25
Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg
(German Aviator)
Birthdate: January 3, 1903
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Krotoszyn, Poland
Died: April 8, 1945
Birthdate: November 22, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Newark, Ohio, United States
Died: September 30, 2014
Birthdate: August 17, 1911
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Long Island, New York, United States
Died: March 19, 2010
28
Yevdokiya Bershanskaya
(Military personnel)
Birthdate: February 6, 1913
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dobrovol'noye, Russia
Died: September 16, 1982
29
Yekaterina Budanova
(Fighter pilot)
Birthdate: December 6, 1916
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Smolensk Oblast, Russia
Died: July 19, 1943
30
Marie Marvingt
(French Athlete Who Was the First Female Fighter Pilot and Held Countless Sports Records)
Birthdate: February 20, 1875
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Aurillac, in Cantal, France
Died: December 14, 1963
Refused entry in the Tour de France because she was a woman, French athlete Marie Marvingt finished the course by herself. An aviator and mountaineer, too, she later made many sporting records. She was the first female fighter pilot. She had also been a journalist, a medical officer, and a ski school instructor.
31
Natalya Meklin
(Aircraft pilot)
Birthdate: September 8, 1922
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lubny, Ukraine
Died: June 5, 2005
32
Niloofar Rahmani
(The First Woman in the History of Afghanistan Who Became Fixed-Wing Air Force Aviator)
Birthdate: September 27, 1992
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Logar Province Logar, Afghanistan
Niloofar Rahmani is the first woman in Afghanistan’s history who became fixed-wing Air Force aviator. She is Afghan Air Force’s first female pilot since 2001 fall of Taliban. Despite receiving death threats, Rahmani completed her training which included training on C-130s with the US Air Force. She received International Women of Courage Award and was granted asylum in the US.
33
Diana Barnato Walker
(Pilot)
Birthdate: January 15, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
Died: April 28, 2008
34
Ellen Church
(The First Female Flight Attendant)
Birthdate: September 22, 1904
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cresco, Iowa, United States
Died: August 22, 1965
Ellen Church was an American nurse and flight attendant. She wanted to establish herself as a commercial pilot. Since airlines were not hiring women pilots at that time, Church convinced Boeing Air Transport that having nurses as flight-stewardesses would help bring in more passengers. Subsequently, in 1930, Ellen Church became the first female flight attendant.
35
Irina Sebrova
(Flight Commander)
Birthdate: December 25, 1914
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tetyakovka, Russia
Died: April 5, 2000
36
Louise McPhetridge Thaden
(Aviator)
Birthdate: November 12, 1905
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
Died: November 9, 1979
37
Yevgeniya Rudneva
(Head navigator)
Birthdate: May 24, 1921
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berdyans'k, Ukraine
Died: April 9, 1944
38
Mary, Lady Heath
(Aviator)
Birthdate: November 17, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Knockaderry, County Limerick, Ireland
Died: May 9, 1939
Birthdate: June 28, 1926
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pensacola, Florida, United States
Died: August 31, 2011
Birthdate: April 27, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Worcester, England
Died: October 20, 1988
41
Frances Wilson Grayson
(Pilot)
Birthdate: 1892 AD
Birthplace: Cherokee Village, Arkansas, United States
Died: December 23, 1927
Birthdate: January 7, 1906
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Greenup, Illinois, United States
Died: January 24, 2003
Birthdate: December 14, 1936
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Fez, Morocco
Died: March 1, 1956
44
Edith Clark
(The First Woman to be Employed as an Electrical Engineer in the US)
Birthdate: June 15, 1904
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: France
Died: March 16, 1937
Initially a math teacher at a private school, US academic, engineer, and inventor Edith Clark later became the US’s first professional female electrical engineer and first female professor of electrical engineering. In 1926, she became the world’s first woman to present a paper at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
45
Audrey Sale-Barker
(British Alpine Skiing Champion and Prominent Aviator)
Birthdate: 1903 AD
Birthplace: Chelsea, London, England
Died: December 21, 1994
46
Hilder Florentina Smith
(Aviator, Skydiver)
Birthdate: August 10, 1890
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Galesburg, Illinois, United States
Died: January 11, 1977
47
Lois Butler
(Canadian Alpine Skier)
Birthdate: November 3, 1897
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Died: August 17, 1970
48
Kathleen Fox
(Aviator, Skydiver)
Birthdate: December 24, 1951
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada