By Tim Lambert
In 1784, Elisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an untethered balloon.
In 1909, Elise Deroche became the first woman to fly solo.
Raymonde de Laroche was born in 1882. In 1910, she became the first woman to gain a pilot’s licence (in France).
Harriet Quimby was born in 1875. She was the first woman in the USA to earn a pilot’s licence (1911) and the first to fly across the English Channel solo (1912).
In 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first black woman to obtain a pilot’s licence.
Ruth Elder almost became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic in 1927, but the plane ditched in the sea near the Azores.
Amelia Earhart was born in 1897. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. Amy Johnson was born in 1903. In 1930, she became the first woman to fly from Britain to Australia single-handed.
Ruth Nichols was born in 1901. She set world records for speed, altitude, and distance. Pancho Barnes was also born in 1901. She was a stunt pilot. In 1930, she broke the speed record set by Amelia Earhart.
Beryl Markham was born in 1902. In 1936, she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic from east to west. Amelia Earhart had already flown west to east, but Beryl’s flight was more difficult because she was flying against prevailing winds. Her plane crashed in Nova Scotia, but she became a heroine. Also in 1902, Phoebe Omlie was born. She was the first female airplane mechanic as well as a famous pilot.
During the Second World War, in Britain and the USA, women pilots ferried aircraft to where they were needed. In the USA, Nancy Harkness Love (born 1914) led them.
Jacqueline Cochran was born in 1906. In 1953, she became the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound.
Louise Arner Boyd was born in 1888. She was the first woman to fly over the North Pole in 1955.
Anne Burns was born in 1915. She was the first woman to fly a glider across the English Channel in 1957.
Geraldine Mock was born in 1925. In 1964, she became the first woman to fly around the world solo.
Bonnie Tiburzi was born in 1948. In 1973, she became the first female pilot for American Airlines.
Patty Wagstaff was born in 1951. In 1991, she became the first woman to win the title of US National Aerobatic Champion.
Nicole Malachowski was born in 1974. In 2005, she became the first woman pilot selected to fly in the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds. In Britain, in 2010, Kirsty Moore became the first woman member of the Red Arrows.
Last revised 2026