Helen Richey
American aviator / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Helen Richey?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Helen Richey (November 21, 1909 – January 7, 1947) was a pioneering female aviator and the first woman to be hired as a pilot by a commercial airline in the United States.[1]
Helen Richey | |
---|---|
Born | Helen Richey (1909-11-21)November 21, 1909 McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | January 7, 1947(1947-01-07) (aged 37) New York City, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Aviator |
In 1933, she and her flying partner, Frances Harrell Marsalis, set a women's fueling endurance record of 237 hours and 42 minutes above the city of Miami in their airplane, the "Flying Boudoir."[2][3]
Three years later, Richey set a women's international light plane record of 100 kilometers traveled in 55 minutes. As a co-pilot in the Bendix race that same year with Amelia Earhart, she secured the women's light plane altitude record. During World War II, Richey became the first female pilot from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the war front in Europe.[4]