Harriet Quimby, 1875-1912 born Kinderhook Township, Michigan
The first woman to earn a pilots license in the USA, Harriet was noted for her
daring, courageous spirit & achieved fame as one of the first woman reporters for a
major newspaper. By 1902 she had written for several publications, but she is best
remembered as the 1st American woman to earn a US pilot's license. Her family
moved to California, and she was a writer for the Dramatic Review of San Francisco.
As drama critic for Leslie’s Weekly her attention turned to aviation. Her instruction
was at the Moisant School of Aviation in Hempstead, Long Island. In 4 months and
33 lessons, Harriet flew for her Fédération Aéronautique Internationale License
(FAI) July 31, 1911, and on August 1, 1911 she became the first licensed female
aviator in the United States. Her license number was FAI # 37.
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