Previously published in Examiner
November is aviation history month and what better to celebrate women’s issues than to read about the most famous woman aviator in history.
For Montreal women who are interested in aviation schools click here
Amelia Earhart
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937 remains one of the biggest mysteries of all time.
Life and times of Amelia Earhart
Early exposure to airplanes
Ameila and her friend had the opportunity to visit the Canadian National exposition not long after her recovery from illness. The highlight of the show was a World I ace pilot. Amelia Earhart got to see the plane fly really close to her and did not flinch. She was fascinated not afraid.
In 1919 Amelia Earhart started medical studies at Columbia University but had to leave to be with her parents. Not much information is written explaining why.
It was December 28, 1920 when Amelia got the thrill of her life. Her father took her to an airshow in Long Beach, California. Frank Hawkes who would later become an ace racer gave her a ride in his plane. From that point onward, Amelia knew that she just had to learn to fly.
Amelia was determined to raise the money required for flying lessons. She took on many jobs such as truck driver, photographer and a stenographer for the telephone company to acquire $1,000 needed for these lessons. She also had to take the bus to the end of the line to get line and then walk four miles out to Kinner Field to take her first lesson on January 3,1921.
The Curtiss School of Aviation
Amelia’s first instructor was Neta Snook who happened to be the first woman instructor who graduated from the Curtiss School of Aviation. Amelia flew the first time with her father at an airshow.
Amelia was so exhilarated by that flight that she bought her own plane and began to compete. She was so good she actually began setting records. Her parents were going through a divorce and Amelia had to sell the plane so that she could take her mother East and away from her dad.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart