Female Pilots and Women's History Month

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March being Women’s History Month, it seems appropriate that this month marks a major event in women’s history: It's been one hundred years since the first woman received a pilot's license.

Female aviators were the forebears of women’s rights before the movement even existed. Trying to excel in a man’s field, they were flatly told they couldn’t. There were even ridiculous attempts to ground them, including a movement to prove that women weren’t mentally stable enough to fly during menstruation.

With all that adversity, take a look at these amazing women aviators who broke through and accomplished what none had done before.

1910: French aviatrix Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a pilot's license.

1912: Less than one year after becoming the first American female to obtain a pilot's license, Harriet Quimby is the first woman to fly across the English Channel.

1918: Marjorie Stinson is appointed the first female airmail pilot by the U.S. Postmaster General.

1921: Bessie Coleman becomes the first African American (of either sex) to be granted a pilot's license.

1934: Helen Richey is hired by Central Airlines, becoming the first female pilot for a U.S. commercial airline.

1935: Amelia Earhart breaks multiple records. She becomes the first person to fly solo across the Pacific, going from Hawaii to Oakland, CA; then the first to fly from Los Angeles to Mexico City.

1936: For the first time, women are allowed to compete against men at the prestigious Bendix Trophy Race. With seven airplanes racing (four piloted by men), Louise Thaden becomes the first woman to win the coveted trophy. Another woman, Laura Ingalls, wins second place.

1953: Jacqueline Cochran is the first woman to break the sound barrier.

1991: Patty Wagstaff becomes the first female U.S. National Aerobatic Champion.

2008: Born without arms, Jessica Cox is the first pilot to earn a certificate using only her feet.

These are just a few of the amazing women in aviation history. There are many more.

Today, it’s so much easier for a woman to learn to fly. There are clubs like Women in Aviation (www.wai.org) and the Ninety-Nines (www.ninety-nines.org) that offer support and guidance.

Plus, programs like the nonprofit Let’s Go Flying (www.letsgoflying.com) provide resources, advice and a list of flight schools, many of which even offer discounted introductory flights.

Help Women's Media Center Recognize 30 Women Making History

Women’s Media Center – a nonprofit organization founded by Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Robin Morgan – announced that, in recognition of the 30th anniversary of Women's History Month, WMC will profile 30 Women Making History on the WMC blog: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/blog. Each day, they will feature a new woman who is making an impact every day with her work.

Through original content, advocacy campaigns, and media and leadership trainings, WMC works to ensure that women history is no longer slanted to one side and the contributions of women in all forms of media are recognized.

Support in helping them acknowledge and celebrate this remarkable and diverse group of women. The list of women is not complete and we welcome nominations/suggestions.

9 Things American Women Take For Granted

It’s National Women’s History Month! What better way to celebrate then let TheFrisky.com, the website covering everything that matters to women 18-34 highlight the ways in which women have gotten ahead over the years. Keep reading below for some of the rights that women should take advantage of:

1. The right to vote. The 19th Constitutional Amendment was passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified Aug. 18, 1920.
2. The right to make as much money as men. There are still many out there fighting for women to make the same higher wages as their male counterparts, but 1938’s Fair Labor Standards Act, which “established minimum wage without regard to sex,” made it possible for us to even be pissed about making less.
3. The right to have a “man’s” job. Sure, you had to be paid as much as the guys at work, but you could never, ever be promoted above one. At least not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But it wasn’t until the 1973 Supreme Court upheld a 1968 ruling that sex-segregated ads for employment were made illegal.
4. The right to go to college. Back in the day, educating women wasn’t a priority. In 1870, just one-fifth of resident college and university students were women. Today, women outnumber men on college campuses.
5. The right to choose our own religion. Way back when, the religion of the man that you chose to marry is what you would convert to. No questions, no nothing. Even if you’re an atheist, you can appreciate this.

Wanna check out the others? To view the entire post, go to http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-9-things-american-women-take-for-granted/