Blanche Scott (1884-1970) – American pilot

The pilot Blanche Scott (also known as Betty Scott) occupies a special place in American aviation history, because they probably first American woman made a solo flight in an airplane.

The American born in Rochester (New York) in 1884 was adventurous. For example, she became fascinated by cars at a young age. After her father, a successful businessman, bought a car, Blanche decided to take regular trips. In 1910 she did something special. The American then drove a car from the west coast to the east coast, as the second woman ever. During this adventurous trip, she saw a Wright brothers plane for the first time in Dayton, Ohio . Inspired, after she had completed her historic car journey, she made her first flight in California herself as a passenger.
Blanche Scott’s car journey did not go unnoticed in the press. The achievement also caught the attention of Jerome Fanciulli, who worked for American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. Fanciulli approached Blanche Scott and asked her if she wanted to learn to fly. Scott did listen to this and later said :

“The idea of ​​being a nobody and a nothing in New York’s millions had irritated me. Here was a chance for the brass ring.”

Glenn Curtiss initially saw no point in adding a woman to his training team. In the end, however, he agreed. Scott thus became the only woman to receive personal lessons from the famous aircraft manufacturer.

First solo flight

After some previous practice sessions, Blanche Scott again took his place in an airplane on September 6, 1910. She was supposed to practice taxiing on the runway on her own. To keep the plane from overspeeding and taking off, Curtiss had attached a block of wood under the accelerator pedal. For unclear reasons, the block shifted during the exercise. As a result, the aircraft made much more speed than intended, so that the aircraft eventually even lifted off the ground. Blanche Scott eventually flew at a height of about twelve meters for a short time, after which she neatly landed the aircraft again. Although this short flight was not officially recorded, it is still regarded by historians as the first American female solo flight.

Blanche Scott completed her training after this short unexpected flight and worked for a while as a stunt pilot for Curtiss’ demonstration team. In 1916 she said goodbye to the aviation industry, partly out of dissatisfaction with the fact that it proved difficult for women to pursue a career as an engineer or mechanic. The public’s fascination with crashes and accidents had also stopped her. After this, Blanche Scott continued to work in the radio and film industry. She was then attached to the Air Force Museum in Dayton until the 1950s.

Tribute

Blanche Scott died in 1970 at the age of 84 and was cremated in Rochester. Ten years after her death, the U.S. Postal Service honored the aviation pioneer by issuing a stamp bearing her likeness (see opening image). In 2005 she was inducted into the US National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Blanche Scott, the first woman to fly solo