Among them are the Brazilians Thereza de Marzo and Anésia Pinheiro […]
More than a hundred years ago, on October 23, 1906, the Brazilian Alberto Santos Dumont made history with his 14-Bis, when he took off in the first heavier-than-air airplane.
Currently, the date is also remembered as Aviator and FAB (Brazilian Air Force) Day.
More than by Dumont and the Wright brothers, however, the history of world aviation was also written by women, including the American Amelia Earhart and the Brazilians Thereza de Marzo and Anésia Pinheiro Machado.
Meet women who have pioneered global aviation.
Aviator Day: pioneering women
Amelia Earhart
In 1932, this American from Kansas will break every perspective (and prejudice) in the field of aviation.
At age 34, Earhart captured the world’s attention with her nearly 15-hour solo flight aboard a Lockheed Vega 5B monoplane between Newfoundland, Canada, and Northern Ireland, Europe, nonstop.
With the trip, the aviator would also become the second person to make this type of crossing, inaugurated by Charles Lindbergh, five years earlier.
Her CV also includes a course in automotive mechanics and titles such as being the first woman to pilot an autogyro (an airplane that was the precursor to the helicopter) and making the pioneering solo flight between Hawaii and California in 1935.
Teresa of March
Daughter of a father who believed that “a woman’s place was in the home”, this São Paulo native is considered the first Brazilian to receive the international diploma of pilot-aviator, the license for which was obtained after a solo flight on March 7, 1922.
When she married instructor Fritz Roesler four years later, Thereza was banned from continuing to fly, because all it took was one aviator in the family. With 329 hours and 54 minutes of flying in her logbook, the Brazilian air pioneer ended her career four years after it began.
On land, Thereza continued to work with her husband in the aviation sector, on projects such as the creation of the Piloting School and Glider Club, in Campo de Marte (SP), where engineer Roesler built the first EAY-101 gliders and the EAY-201 “Paulistinha” aircraft.
However, Thereza de Marzo was not alone.
Anésia Pinheiro Machado
The Sao Paulo native, originally from Itapetininga, shares the title of Brazil’s first female aviator with Thereza, whose license number 77 was received just one day apart.
Taught by Fritz Roesler himself, Anésia made her aviation debut on a flight from São Paulo to Santos on the coast of São Paulo. But that wasn’t enough, and months later, she would become known as the first woman to command an interstate flight in Brazil.
The journey between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro was made aboard a single-engine Caudron G3 (“Bandeirante”) and took four days to the final destination. The challenge was to fly only 1.5 hours per day, as it was necessary to make several stops to refuel and maintain the aircraft.
And guess who was waiting for you when you arrived in Rio de Janeiro?
In addition to the authorities, Anésia was received by none other than Alberto Santos Dumont, who gave her a replica of the gold medal received from Princess Isabel, a piece of which the aviator carried with him as an amulet until the end of his life.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
