My Mission
My aim is to inspire young women and girls to pursue whatever they may be interested in, even if that is seen as traditionally male.
I have always been interested in two things: aviation and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Through my round the world trip I’m hoping to encourage other girls to start flying too or (/and 🙂 ) enter STEM related careers. Only 5% of commercial pilots are women, and 15% of computer scientists are women! That’s an extremely low number considering these are amazing careers with wonderful opportunities.Â
One of my biggest role-models are Lillian Bland, Bessie Coleman, Valentina Tereshkova and Amelia Earhart.
Amazing Women With Amazing Stories
Lillian Bland
Born in 1878 in Kent, she was the first woman to design, build, and fly her own plane in 1910! Before this her dream was to become a jockey and race at The Grand National, she got her license but was never able to compete due to her gender. She was also known for wearing trousers (which was very ‘unladylike’ at the time)! After she had built her plane (the Bland Mayfly), her father decided to give her a car to dissuade her from flying. One year later she opened a car dealership…Â
Bessie Coleman
The first African American and Native American to hold a pilot’s licence. No American flying school would accept her due to the colour of her skin and her gender, so she decided to head to France where they would teach her to fly. She started doing aerobatics. Soon she started performing in Europe and America. However, she would only perform in places where no segregation occurred. When she returned home to Texas for a performance, the managers told her there would be a separate entrance for black and white people. After many meetings negotiating, it was finally agreed that there would be one common entrance for everyone. She quickly became famous for her flying tricks and standing up for her beliefs.
Valentina Tereshkova
The first woman to go to space. Valentina was born in Russia, and based off of her parachuting experience, chosen to go to Space as a cosmonaut in 1963. After her flight, she became an active member in the government, directing the Soviet Women’s Committee in 1969. Over the years she was named a Hero of the Soviet Union and twice awarded the Order of Lenin.Â
Amelia Earhart
The most famous female aviator. She was born in 1897 in the US and after seeing a plane for the first time aged 11, decided to become a pilot. She broke numerous records throughout her life, most notable becoming the first woman to do a solo trans-Atlantic. Her records lead her to becoming the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross!
