After learning Jessica Cox’s story, you’ll likely find you have no excuse…for anything. Cox is the world’s first licensed armless pilot. Yes, armless. She’s the first armless black belt in the history of the American Taekwondo Association. She can play the piano, put her own contact lenses in, scuba dive, and text on her cell […]
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In 2009, Susan Baer became the first female Director of Aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, running the area’s three biggest airports: LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark Liberty, as well as the smaller Stewart International and Teterboro Airports. Baer was the first person, regardless of gender, to manage all three of
Saying Goodbye to the Queen of New York Aviation Read More »
Harriet Quimby was the first of a generation of women that helped pave the way for women in aviation today. Before Amelia Earhart, Quimby was the female pilot that stole America’s hearts. Her aviation career escalated quickly, from the time she first became interested in aviation in 1910 to her tragic death in 1912. Her
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In 1997, Ms. Jane Garvey became the first woman to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration after being appointed to the position by President Bill Clinton. She also was the first Administrator (regardless of gender) to be appointed to a five-year term, which she served from 1997 to 2002. Prior to her
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Betty Gillies, born in 1908, was the ultimate female pilot, serving as President of the Ninety-Nines, chairwoman of the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) and commander of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), stationed at New Castle Army Air Base during World War II. During her time as President of the Ninety-Nines, an international
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A visit from a NASA employee to her third grade class is what initially sparked Victoria “Vicki” Van Meter’s passion for aviation. Though she made headlines flying airplanes, she would always tell friends and family that becoming an astronaut was the ultimate goal. A couple years after that NASA visit, Vicki’s dad saw a sign-up
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Jerrie Mock had never flown over water and had just recently acquired her instrument rating in 1964 when she planned to accomplish what aviation icon Amelia Earhart had not: a solo flight around the world. Even more impressive is the fact that she set out to complete the previously impossible task in a single-engine Cessna
If you’ve followed our “Women in Aviation” blog series over the past few months, you’ve hopefully learned about some remarkable accomplishments by female pilots. Though we still have a lot of work to do, women have come a long way in the aviation industry. The following is a timeline that highlights some of the most
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Katie Higgins earned her Bachelors degree from the Naval Academy, moved on to get her Masters from Georgetown, then became a marine pilot, accruing close to 400 combat hours in Afghanistan, Djibouti, France, Greece, South Sudan, Spain and Uganda. Today, however, Captain Katie Higgins is a Blue Angel. Last year, Captain Higgins became the first
Captain Katie Higgins: The First Lady Blue Angel Read More »
When you think of helicopters, you don’t typically think of making transcontinental trips. Usually, helicopters are used to complete short missions, like trips from the airport to a nearby racetrack, or for news stations to get a birds’ eye view of the local traffic. Don’t tell that to Jennifer Murray. In 2000, Murray became the
Around the World in a Chopper Read More »
