1911 First American woman awarded a pilot's license

On August 1, 1911, Quimby took her pilot's test and became the first American woman to earn a pilot's license, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale certificate #37, issued to her by the Aero Club of America. After earning her pilot's license, Quimby acted to capitalize on her new status. Pilots could earn as much as US $1,000 per performance, and prize money for a race could go as high as $10,000 or more. Quimby joined an exhibition team, and made her professional debut in 1911, earning $1,500 in a night flight over Staten Island before a crowd of almost 20,000 spectators. In articles for popular magazines, she recounted her flying adventures. Committed to her new passion of flying, she promoted the economic potential of commercial aviation and touted flying as an ideal sport for women. Less than a year after obtaining her pilot’s license, Quimby was killed during an exhibition flight over Boston.

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Category:
Aviation

Completion Status:
yes

Patent Number:
N/A

Co-Inventor:
none