Thu, Jul 23, 2020
90 Years Ago, Ruth Alexander Reached An Altitude Of 6583M
FAI has a long memory... and recently, they let us now that on 11 July 1930, American aviatrix Ruth Alexander flew a Nicholas-Beazley NB-3 equipped with a Warner "Scarab" Jr. 90 H.P. motor and established a female Altitude world record (6583m) over San Diego, California (USA).
Thanks to her exceptional performance, Alexander, then 25 years old, added her name to the list of FAI women’s world-record breakers for the second time. Her first record was in 1929.
Following FAI’s decision to recognise women’s records and the subsequent ratification of the first record of this kind in 1929 by Maryse Bastié, more and more women made record attempts. In the 1930s, courageous and determined pilots such as Ruth Alexander, Lena Berstein, Hélène Boucher (the first woman to supersede a record set by a man), Jacqueline Cochran and Jean Batten moved the women’s cause forward with their achievements. In 1938, for example, no less than 31 women’s records were approved by FAI, not counting distance records.
In 1937, Jean Batten was the first woman to received FAI’s highest award, the FAI Gold Air Medal, as the first woman to cross the South Atlantic in 1935, fly from England to Australia and New Zealand.
Alexander also achieved her share of fame not only for her records, but also for being the second American glider pilot licence-holder and the first female gliding instructor in the USA. Sadly, she didn’t get the chance to further her aviation exploits, as she died after crashing her airplane on 18 September 1930. Her death made the news around the world.
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]