Harriet Quimby

Harriet Quimby (May 11, 1875 - July 1, 1912) was the first major female pilot in the United States. In 1911, she earned the first US pilot's license issued to a woman by the Aero Club of America, and less than a year later flew across the English Channel, the first woman to do so. Although Quimby lived only to age 37, she had a major impact on women's roles in aviation. She was a true pioneer and helped break down stereotypes about women's abilities during the first decade of flight.

Early career

Little is known of her early life other than that she was born to a family of farmers near Coldwater, Michigan. After her family moved to San Francisco, California in the early 1900s, she became a journalist. She moved to New York City in 1903 to work as a theatre critic for Leslie's Illustrated Weekly which published over 250 articles of hers over a nine year period. She became interested in aviation in 1910, when she attended the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island, New York and met Matilde Moisant and her brother John, a well-known American aviator and operator of the flight school. On August 1, 1911, Quimby took her pilot's test and became the first U.S. woman to earn a pilot's license. Matilde Moisant soon followed and became the nation's second licensed female pilot.

Hollywood

In 1911, Quimby used her creative writing skills to author five screenplays that were made into silent film shorts by Biograph Studios. All five of the romance films were directed by director D.W. Griffith with stars such as Florence La Badie, Wilfred Lucas, and Blanche Sweet.

English Channel

On April 16, 1912, Quimby took off from Dover, England, en route to Calais, France and made the flight in 59 minutes, landing about 25 miles (40 km) from Calais on a beach in Hardelot-Plage, Pas-de-Calais. She had become the first woman to fly the English Channel. Very few people learned of her accomplishment because the RMS Titanic had sunk two days before and Quimby's story got relegated to the last page, if it was covered at all.

Death

Quimby's career ended sadly on July 1, 1912. Flying in the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet at Squantum, Massachusetts, with William Willard, the event's organizer aboard, her brand-new, two-seat, Bleriot monoplane unexpectedly pitched forward for reasons that are still unknown. Both Willard and Quimby were ejected and fell to their deaths in an accident that publicized the importance of wearing seat belts.

Burial

Harriet Quimby was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. However, the following year her remains were moved to the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

Timeline

1875 Birth
1903 Work at Leslie's Illustrated Weekly
1910 Attends Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament
1911 Pilot test on August 1st
1912 Sinking of Titanic on April 15th
1912 Crosses English Channel on April 16th
1912 Death from fall from plane when not wearing seat belt on July 1st

Airplane

Blériot monoplane

Selected coverage in the New York Times

New York Times, May 11, 1911, page 06, "Woman in trousers daring aviator; Long Island folk discover that miss Harriet Quimby is making flights at Garden City"
New York Times, August 02, 1911, page 07, "Miss Quimby wins air pilot license"
New York Times, September 05, 1911, page 05, "Girl flies by night at Richmond fair; Harriet Quimby darts about in the moonshine above an admiring crowd"
New York Times, September 18, 1911, page 07, "Women aviators to race; the Misses Moisant, Quimby, Scott, and Dutrieu at Nassau meet"
New York Times, September 28, 1911, page 02, "Miss Quimby's flight"
New York Times, April 17, 1912, page 15, "Quimby flies English Channel"
New York Times, June 21, 1912, page 14, "Woman to fly with mail; Miss Quimby Plans Air Trip from Boston to New York"
New York Times, July 02, 1912, page 01, "Miss quimby dies in airship fall"
New York Times, July 03, 1912, page 07, "Quimby tragedy unexplained"
New York Times, July 04, 1912, page 07, "Services for Harriet Quimby to-night"
New York Times, July 05, 1912, page 13, "Eulogizes Harriet Quimby"
New York Times, July 07, 1912, magazine, "When aviation becomes not only dangerous but foolhardy"

External links

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