Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I Pioneers of Aviation 5
Baroness de Laroche: "Bird Woman" 8
Harriet Quimby: First Woman to Fly Across the English Channel 16
Bessie Coleman: Queen Bess 25
Neta Snook: The Woman Who Taught Amelia to Fly 32
Part II The Golden Age of Flight 41
Amelia Earhart: The Most Famous Female Aviator in the World 46
Louise Thaden: Women's Air Derby Winner 55
Bobbi Trout: From Service Station to Airfield 61
Elinor Smith: The Flying Flapper of Freeport 67
Edna Gardner Whyte: Nothing Could Stop Her from Flying 72
Katherine Cheung: The First Licensed Asian American Woman Pilot 79
Beryl Markham: African Bush Pilot Crosses Atlantic 84
Willa Brown: Integrating the US Armed Forces 90
Part III Wartime and Military Flying 97
Jacqueline Cochran: Women Pilots Can Make a Difference 103
Violet Cowden: Determined WASP 111
Valentina Grizodubova: The Soviet Amelia Earhart 118
Hanna Reitsch: The World's First Female Test Pilot 125
Part IV All Part of the Job 133
Poncho Barnes: Stunt Flyer Extraordinaire 136
Lynn Rippelmeyer and Beverly Burns: Airline Pilot Captains 142
Wally Funk: Air Safety Investigator 148
Patty Wagstaff: Aerobatic Firefighter 155
Ingrid Pedersen: Polar Bush Pilot 161
Part V Making a Difference 167
Ruth Nichols: Relief Wings in Times of Disaster 172
Fay Gillis Wells: Promoting World Friendship through Flying 179
Jennifer Murray: Helicopter Flying for Charity 186
Ida Van Smith: Teaching Children to Fly 192
Jerrie Cobb: Missionary Pilot 197
Acknowledgments 203
Notes 205
Glossary 211
Bibliography 217
Index 227