About Harriet Quimby
Harriet Quimby was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter. In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot's license and in 1912 the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. Although Quimby died at the age of 37 in a flying accident, she strongly influenced the role of women in aviation. Ironically, one of the first articles published under her new title was "The Dangers of Flying and How to Avoid Them," an account of pilots who had died and a discussion of the need for proper safety precautions. Quimby became interested in aviation in 1910 when she attended the International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. On August 2, 1911, Quimby passed her pilot’s test and became the first North American woman to earn a pilot’s license, receiving Fédération Aéronautique Internationale certificate No. 37, issued by the Aero Club of America.
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