Good afternoon,

Today we look at the women of aviation! I hope you're looking forward to exciting stories of early 20th century women.

Starting with an overview of Women In Planes, courtesy of Vanity Fair 1919 (it’s a PDF):

http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/women_aviators-pdf

Here is the extremely cool Katherine Cheung, whose self-confidence on its own is inspiring:

In 1932, a cousin who was a pilot offered to take her aloft. The experience was so exhilarating that she impulsively signed up for $5-an-hour lessons […] After 12 1/2 hours in the sky, she flew solo for the first time. She earned her license soon afterward, […] becoming the first Chinese American woman to legally pilot a plane. At the time, only about 200, or 1%, of licensed American pilots were women.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/sep/07/local/me-cheung7

And finally, Bessica Raiche, who built an aeroplane in her front room and then flew it:

Raiche’s homemade, Wright Brothers-inspired aircraft was constructed in the living room of her Mineola, N.Y., home using just silk, piano wire and bamboo

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/photos/8-famous-female-aviators/bessica-raiche

Happy Friday,

Alex.