"I have found that women are not only just as much interested as men are in flying, but apparently have less fear than the men have."
Katherine Stinson, quoted in Katherine Stinson, The Flying Schoolgirl, by Debra L. Winegarten, Eakin Press, 2000
Katherine Stinson, born on Valentine's Day, 1891, was raised along with three siblings by a single mother who taught her children to be self sufficient without gender constraints. At a young age, Katherine developed an interest in music and wished to study piano in Europe. As exhibition pilots were earning one thousand dollars per performance, she saw flying as a means to raise the money needed to further her education; once she began flying, however, she seems to have forgotten about studying music.
Turned away by several male flight instuctors who felt that women had no business learning to fly, she was eventually able to persuade legendary flight instructor Max Lillie to take a chance on her. Katherine flew her first solo flight after only four hours of instruction, receiving her pilots license within three weeks, becoming the fourth female pilot in the United States. After completing her training, she established her own flight school with her sister Marjorie, the ninth woman pilot.
Katherine was the first woman to perform a loop, and the first person to perform a double loop, in a plane she designed and built herself. It should be noted that planes of the day were not equipped with any sort of safety harness; the pilot simply had to rely on her own strength to keep from falling. She was also the first stunt pilot to perform at night, using Roman candles on her wings and flaming barrels on the ground as reference points, and the first woman pilot to fly in Canada, Japan, and China.
Known to be a meticulous mechanic, she was sometimes teased about the care with which she prepared her aircraft; she was, however, respected not only as a capable pilot, but also as a fair and just employer. Throughout her career, Katherine staged over five hundred stunt flying demonstrations without a single incident and broke speed and distance records in several countries. In addition to her stunt flying, Katherine also delivered air mail, becoming the first air mail pilot in western Canada.
With America's entry into World War I, eager to serve her country but barred from combat flying because she was a woman, Katherine drove Red Cross ambulances in France. Ironically, much of Katherine's work prior to this involved the training of male military pilots who went through her flight school. In Europe, she contracted tuberculosis, which effectively put an end to her flying career. Upon her return to the United States, Katherine married and became an architect, specializing in the preservation of historic houses in New Mexico. She passed away in 1977, at the age of 86.
With America's entry into World War I, eager to serve her country but barred from combat flying because she was a woman, Katherine drove Red Cross ambulances in France. Ironically, much of Katherine's work prior to this involved the training of male military pilots who went through her flight school. In Europe, she contracted tuberculosis, which effectively put an end to her flying career. Upon her return to the United States, Katherine married and became an architect, specializing in the preservation of historic houses in New Mexico. She passed away in 1977, at the age of 86.
