Today, women can be anything they want to be. This hasn’t always been the case. In the past, strong women had to buck traditional beliefs to travel unconventional paths. When it comes to flying, the woman who blazed the path into the skies for all other women is largely unknown.
The Beginning
Harriet Quimby was born in Michigan in 1875, but her family moved to California between 1887-1890. She was witty and talented, and, thanks to her mother’s encouragement, grew up believing she could succeed at anything she tried.
Her dream? Become a journalist. To that end, she set aside society’s expectations that women marry and have children and focused on establishing a writing career instead.
Writing
In 1902, Harriet began writing for the San Francisco Dramatic Review. She also penned articles for the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Call, and various magazines. Riding a wave of success, she moved to New York City the next year and joined the staff of Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly, a very popular women’s journal (i.e., magazine).
At Leslie’s, she critiqued plays, comedians, the circus, and moving pictures (i.e., silent films), as well as acting as the Women’s Page editor. This wasn’t enough, and she quickly expanded her duties to writing feature articles for the journal. But she didn’t stop there. As she began to travel, she added photojournalist to her credentials, with articles and photos from Europe, Egypt, Cuba, and Mexico. If that wasn’t enough, in 1911, she wrote seven screenplays for pioneer filmmaker D.W. Griffith, who directed all seven when they were developed into silent drama film shorts.
Did You Know…
- Initially, Harriet thought she’d be an actor. She used the stage name Hazel Quimby and appeared in at least two plays before concluding acting wasn’t for her.
- Harriet used a typewriter before most other journalists.
- The articles Harriet wrote provided women with not only the expected household tips, but with advice on things like auto repairs and their careers.
- Over a nine-year period, Harriet wrote and published more than 250 articles.
Aviation
Covering the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island in October of 1910, Harriet Quimby fell in love with flying. She had a new dream—she wanted to become a pilot. But women weren’t pilots. The world of flying belonged to men.
Harriet set out to change this. Four months, thirty-three flying lessons, and four and a half hours of flight time later, she tested for her pilot’s license.
The licensing board’s two judges weren’t keen on giving a pilot’s license to a woman, but after she aced the test, they had no choice. (To get a pilot’s license, testing required the pilot land the plane within 100’ of where it left the ground. Harriet barely missed it on her first attempt, but landed within 7’9” the next day.)
Did You Know…
- Harriet took flying lessons at the Moisant Aviation School. When the press conveniently learned of these lessons, Harriet convinced her editor at Leslie’s to pay for them. In exchange, she would provide the magazine with articles about her experiences.
- On August 1, 1911—114 years ago yesterday—Harriet Quimby passed her pilot’s test and was awarded license #37. She was the first woman in the U.S. (and second woman in the world) to earn one.
- The Baroness de la Roche of France was the first woman to ever earn a pilot’s license.
- Matilde Moisant, sister of Harriet’s flight instructor, became the second U.S. woman to earn her pilot’s license on August 17, 1911.
- By 1930, there were 200 licensed female pilots. That number almost quadrupled to between 700-800 by 1935.
New Career
After earning her pilot’s license, Harriet began a new career. She joined the Moisant International Aviators, an exhibition team, and was paid to fly. Crowds came out to see this petite, green-eyed beauty as she displayed her talents across the U.S. Everyone loved her. Newspapers dubbed her spectacular, popular, loveable, elegant, charming, and intelligent.
In 1911, she became the first person to fly over Mexico City, when she flew in aviation activities during the inauguration of Mexico’s new president.
On April 16, 1912, after a month of preparation, Harriet became the first woman to successfully fly over the English Channel. Though only 25 miles, the 59-minute trip was fraught with danger. (To read more about Harriet and her Channel crossing, click here and here.) Unfortunately, her triumphant accomplishment went almost completely unheralded because in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. The tragedy garnered front-page news headlines for weeks, sinking Harriet’s hope of worldwide recognition.
Did You Know…
- For her professional debut with the Moisant International Aviators, Harriet flew over Staten Island. The seven-minute night flight—a first for a woman—above a crowd of almost 20,000, earned her $1,500.
- Harriet won her first cross-country race less than a month after earning her pilot’s license.
- Harriet wrote articles on flying for Leslie’s and served as the magazine’s aviation editor. One of the first, The Dangers of Flying and How to Avoid Them, helped establish the need for checklists.
- Because you couldn’t fly in a dress, Harriet designed what became her trademark flying ensemble, a violet, wool-backed satin pantsuit with a cowl hood and pants tucked into high-laced boots.
Final Flight
Harriet Quimby flew for the last time on July 1, 1912, three months after her historic English Channel crossing. In a horrific accident, she lost control of her plane, and both she and her passenger were thrown out and plummeted to their deaths. She was only 37 years old.
Far from the normal woman of her day, Harriet was considered radical, a professional writer, photographer, and pilot, who had a career instead of a family. On top of that, she was a woman who owned a car, smoked, and traveled the world extensively.
She did what others only dreamed about doing. And though her career as a pilot lasted only eleven months, Harriet Quimby was a huge influence on women in aviation. She was the role model for future generations, including Amelia Earhart.
Harriet was a visionary who saw the economic potential of commercial aviation and believed flying planes could be “a fruitful occupation for women.”
Did You Know…
- Harriet became known as America’s First Lady of the Air.
- Because of her fair skin and petite stature, the press dubbed Harriet the Dresden China Aviatrix and China Doll.
- In 1912, Harriet, clad in her distinctive purple aviator suit, advertised the Vin Fiz Company’s new grape soda.
- On April 28, 1991, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 50-cent commemorative airmail stamp featuring Harriet Quimby.
- The National Aviation Hall of Fame inducted Harriet in 2004, and the Long Island Air and Space Hall of Fame inducted her in 2012.
Note: To watch short videos about Harriet Quimby, click here and here.