“She was a modern woman in a not-so modern age. At a time when her contemporaries were swathed in petticoats and corsets, Harriet Quimby was climbing into a cockpit, decked out in a satin flying suit, waving energetically to the crowd. She was as bold and tenacious as she was beautiful, and she displayed an innate understanding of marketing and salesmanship, selling herself and the fledgling field of aviation to an enthusiastic public.”
Her life began in rural Michigan, in Arcadia Township of Manistee County. From here her family moved to San Francisco when she was a young teen.
“In California, the relaxed atmosphere of California society deeply influenced Quimby. Young women were stepping outside traditional societal roles and attending college, studying medicine, or performing in the theater. It was an environment that fed young Harriet’s desire for romance and adventure.”
For Harriet, her professional life began in journalism. But while writing brought her joy, it left a void for adventure. A void that would be filled with the newfound space of aviation.
And in 1911, at the age of 36, Harriet became the first licensed woman pilot in the U.S.