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we really should spend more time on other woman flight pioneers

Starting with Jackie Cochran. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Cochran

* Encouraged by then-Major Chuck Yeager, with whom Cochran shared a lifelong friendship, on May 18, 1953, at Rogers Dry Lake, California, Cochran flew the Sabre 3 at an average speed of 652.337 mph. During the course of this run the Sabre went supersonic, and Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier.*

Per her wikipedia page: "During her supersonic run, Yeager flew right on her wing."

Analogs of each other. Yeager said as much in his autobiography.



Also notable: Bessie Coleman, who received her pilot's license a year before Earhart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman


And Coleman had to leave the US and go to France to get her license, because she was an African-American woman and no US school would teach her. She took French classes to send applications to the flight schools.


She was an amazingly competent firecracker, two traits that rarely go together and produce greatness when they do.


Jackie is the first person I thought of too.




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