This week marks the 6^th annual Women of Aviation Worldwide Week which aims to foster gender balance in the air and space industry. Here at the IET Aerospace Network we are celebrating by taking a look at some of the inspiring women of the aerospace industry.



Today we are celebrating Helen Richey (1900 – 1947). She was a pioneering aviator and was the first woman to be hired as a professional pilot by a commercial airline in the US. During her teenage years Helen Richey demonstrated a forward-thinking, rebellious streak and was one of the only girls to wear trousers. A determined woman, she learned how to fly at the age of 20 years old and when she earned her pilot’s license her family bought her a plane.


Richet partnered with another female pilot (Frances Marsalis) to set an endurance record for staying airborne for nearly 10 days with mid-air fuelling. She went on to win the premier air race at the first National Air Meet for women in Pennsylvania.



Continuing with her ambitions Richey set an international altitude record for an aircraft weighing under 200kgs where she reached nearly 19,000 feet. She regularly performed at air shows and in 1936 joined forces with Amelia Earhart in a transcontinental air race where they came 5^th beating some all-male teams.


Not only was she Richey the first professional female airline pilot but was also the first woman sworn in to pilot air mail and was one the first female flight instructors. Richey left behind an impressive career and this high-achiever has continued to inspire women in avation.

  

Every day this week we will be looking at a remarkable woman in aerospace, join our community to keep up-to-date.


What women do you think have been pioneers in the aviation and space industries?

#WOAW2016 @IET_Aerospace