Pioneering Female Aviators

30 artifacts in this set

This expert set is brought to you by:

The staff at The Henry Ford

In 1911, Harriet Quimby became the first woman in the United States to earn a pilot’s license – just eight years after the Wright brothers’ first flight. Even before women had the right to vote, female aviators were proving that they had the intelligence, strength and courage to conquer the sky. Although many of the women highlighted in this set are relatively unknown today, each made her own significant contribution to early aviation.

Detailed Description

Harriet Quimby Cranking the Motor of Her Moisant Monoplane, circa 1911

Photographic print

Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to earn a pilot's license in August 1911, and the first woman to fly the English Channel in April 1912. With her trademark purple satin flying suit, Quimby brought a mix of showmanship and skill to her work. She died in an airplane accident near Boston in July 1912, but her influence was lasting.