Friday Fun: Women in Aviation at Coulson Aviation

Direct link to February 2026 video from Coulson Aviation on YouTube

I think that women are playing an increasing role in fire aviation as demonstrated by the video from Coulson Aviation that they recently shared on Facebook. I am always happy to see videos and images highlighting women's role in fire aviation. I believe that Coulson may have shared this video to honor women in aviation week a few weeks ago.

A Humorous Take on Girls in Aviation

Direct link to September 20th video from Coulson Aviation on YouTube

I love the humor in this Happy Girls in Aviation Day video and might have done the same things when I was girl if given the chance. I support girls in the cockpit and hope to see more girls and women flying.

Women in Aviation: The Ninety-Nines

I have known about The Ninety-Nines for about 13 years or so from a couple of female pilots who may have been members of The Ninety-Nines. I knew from these women that The Ninety-Nines advocated for and promoted women in aviation. Around the same time, I read or reread books by or about Amelia Earhart mentioning that The Ninety-Nines were founded by 99 women pilots in the late 1920s or early 1930s.  Looking at the history of The Ninety-Nines I see that they were founded in 1929 and Amelia Earhart was their first president. I know that they do a lot of good work supporting women in aviation and if I were a pilot, which I am not, I would have become a member. The following description about The Ninety-Nines is from The Ninety-Nines main webpage:

OUR MISSION — The NINETY-NINES® INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN PILOTS® promotes advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight.

Established in 1929 by 99 women pilots, the members of The Ninety-Nines, Inc.®, International Organization of Women Pilots®, are represented in all areas of aviation today. And, to quote Amelia, fly "for the fun of it!"

 The Ninety-Nines have a nice YouTube channel chock full of some wonderful videos highlighting women in aviation, past and present. Here is a video that they uploaded a couple of months ago highlighting women in aviation in 2023. The video is under four minutes, enjoy.

Direct Link to Video from The Ninety-Nines on YouTube

Celebrating Women in Aviation (three days late)

I knew that this past Friday, March 8, 2024 was International Women's Day. I have no excuse for not paying attention to the increased role of women in aviation. I am not a pilot but I do endeavor to support women in aviation in the way that I can. So I come here to share two videos with you celebrating women in aviation.

The first video is about an all women's crew taking off from Newark Liberty International Airport on International Women's Day.

Direct link to video from PIX11 News on YouTube

The second video, from Air Link International Aviation College celebrates women in aviation.

Direct link to video from Air Link International Aviation College on YouTube

Friday Fun: Raymonde de Laroche

I have been reading a book about women in in the very early days of aviation: Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation by Eileen F. Lebow. While many women were involved in ballooning and dirigibles, including some of the first female airplane pilots, the women that I have read about flew airplanes. The first women to obtain a pilot's license was the Raymonde de LaRoche (from France) on March 10, 1910, earning license # 36 issued by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. I must note that she was not the first female airplane pilot but she did obtain the first pilot's license issued to a women.

Here is a 24 minute biographical video about Raymonde de Laroche from Forgotten Aviation, a direct link to the video may be found here.

P.S. (added on November 27th) I think but am not certain that Raymonde de Laroche was not born into being a Baroness, at some point someone called her Baroness and it stuck.

Friday Fun: Harriot Quimby

I have been reading about early women aviators. The first women in the United States to get a pilots license was Harriot Quimby on August 1, 1911. Harriot flew in many air shows and she was the first women to fly across the English Channel on April 15, 2012, the same day that the Titanic sunk. Tragically she died at the Boston-Harvard Air Meet on July 1, 2012 when she was thrown from her plane. For more information read Harriot's bio at the Cradle of Aviation

Direct link to video on YouTube from the National Aviation Hall of Fame

Mary Barr: first female pilot flying for the US Forest Fire Service

In my wonderings around the internet over the years, I suspect that I had heard of Mary Barr, the first woman who flew for the US Forest Fire Service (USFS). I admit that it was an oversight that I did not make a note about Mary Barr to write about her in my blog. Perhaps there was a reason why this happened as just today I was on social media and noticed that in August of 2022, Mary's daughters -- Molly and Nevada -- were on National Public Radio's Story Corps. Mary, who died in 2010, flew as a contract pilot for the USFS before flying as a lead plane pilot full time in 1974, she also flew smokejumpers for a short time. She was one of the first four women to fly in the Reno Air Races. Wikipedia has a short bio on Mary Barr that may be found here.

Story Corp did provide an embed code and I hoped to be able to embed the actual interview here for easy listening. Unfortunately, the embed code does not work. That happens sometimes. However you can listed to the four minute Story Corp interview at this direct link to the Story Corp interview where Mary and Nevada talk about their Mother, Mary Barr.

I would have enjoyed knowing Mary. I have much respect and appreciation for women like Mary Barr who helped pave the way for other women in aviation. 

In honor of women's history month: women in aviation in the U.S. over 100 years

 In honor of women's history month, I want to share a nice video from Mike Machat on "Women in Aviation - From the early pioneers to today's talented female aviators." The focus here is on female aviators in the United States. I enjoyed this video and I hope you do as well. Allow under nineteen minutes to watch the video.