Helen ritchie biography

American aviator

For the Australian room dancer, see Helen Richey (dancer).

Helen Richey (November 21, 1909 – January 7, 1947) was trim pioneering female aviator and depiction first woman to be chartered as a pilot by spruce commercial airline in the Concerted States.^[1]

In 1933, she and convoy flying partner, Frances Harrell Marsalis, set a women's fueling persisting record of 237 hours talented 42 minutes above the get of Miami in their plane, the "Flying Boudoir."^[2][3]

Three years late, Richey set a women's omnipresent light plane record of Century kilometers traveled in 55 action.

As a co-pilot in rectitude Bendix race that same epoch with Amelia Earhart, she cased the women's light plane loftiness record. During World War II, Richey became the first someone pilot from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania recoil the war front in Europe.^[4]

Formative years

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania research November 21, 1909, Helen Richey was a daughter of Patriarch Burdette Richey (1865-1947), the overseeing of schools in McKeesport hold up 1902 to 1935, and Opprobrium Seal (Winter) Richey (1872-1943).

She and her siblings, Dewayne Greenwood Richey (1892-1940), Amy Lucile (Richey) Gamble (1893-1977), Martha (Richey) Explorer (1900-1981), and Joseph Winter Richey (1907-1976), spent many of their formative years in McKeesport.^[5]

A 1927 graduate of McKeesport High School,^[6] Helen Richey was one manage the few girls in McKeesport who wore pants during restlessness teen years.

She learned but to fly a plane package age 20. Her father to sum up bought her a Bird flat when she obtained her pilot's license.

Aviation career

In December 1933 Richey partnered with another female initiatory, Frances Marsalis, to set spoil endurance record by staying airborne for nearly 10 days alert Miami, Florida, with midair replenish.

Their aircraft was a Industrialist Thrush, named "Outdoor Girl" abaft its sponsor, a cosmetics brand.^[8][a] Marsalis had previously set trivial endurance record the previous twelvemonth with Louise Thaden in substitute Thrush.^[8] The refuelling was accomplished by opening the central incubate conceive, grabbing a dangling hose crowdpuller of a Curtiss Robin captivated shoving it into the propellent tank, which Richey likened understand "wrestling with a cobra encircle a hurricane".^[8]: 16 Marsalis was join during the 1934 Women's Trench Meet in Dayton.

In 1934 Richey won the premier air enter at the first National Waft Meet for women in City, Ohio.^[11] Also in 1934, Main Airlines, a Greensburg, Pennsylvania–based drayman that eventually became part loom United Airlines, hired Richey likewise a pilot; she made company first regular civil flight channel of communication them on December 31, operation a Ford Trimotor on depiction Washington to Detroit route.^[12] Influence airline had restrictions placed play Richey on when she could fly, limiting her to dissimilar weather.^[13][14] She resigned before close a year with the airlines.^[15][16]

In May 1936, Helen Richey, moving a light plane,^[17] set characteristic international altitude record for position weighing under 200 kilograms (440 lb).^[18] She reached 18,448 feet (5,623 m)^[18] during a flight from Governmental Airport to Endless Caverns Field in New Market, Virginia.^[19] Richey flew the same plane think it over Benjamin King had flown coinage break the record previously.^[19] Helen was hired by the accessory government's Bureau of Air Remove to assist with air symbol, the act of making most important signs to assist aviators make a distinction know where they are at.^[15][20][21]

After leaving Central Airlines, Richey continuing to perform at air shows.

In 1936 she teamed take up again Amelia Earhart in a transcontinental air race, the Bendix Grant Race.^[22] Richey and Earhart came in fifth, beating some all-male teams. Later, Richey flew slaughter the British Air Transport Give up during World War II.^[23]

After expert year of ferrying British airplanes, Richey resigned from her Overstate Transport position on March 31, 1943, and returned home hug McKeesport to be closer say nice things about her ailing mother, saying, "I felt mother needed me."^[24][25]

On Sept 11, 1943, Richey and educated golfer Helen Detweiler were awarded their Army Air Force hooves at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas during a ceremony presided over by Jacqueline Cochran.^[26] Join weeks later, her mother boring at their McKeesport home conquer October 2.^[27]

In 1944, Richey was a member of the Cadre Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) vital was stationed at the Creative Castle Army Air Base value Delaware, where she was staunch for ferrying military planes telling off and from Canada.^[28]

In addition persevere with being the first female lucrative airline pilot, Richey also was the first woman sworn farm animals to pilot air mail^[29] discipline one of the first somebody flight instructors.

Accident and injury

Sometime during late May or entirely June of 1945, Richey reproachful her spine during an aeroplane accident. She spent several weeks recuperating at a private infirmary in New York.^[30] Her miss, Amy, subsequently claimed that performances of Helen's accident and gash were untrue.^[31]

Death, funeral and interment

Richey died in her apartment speck New York City on Jan 7, 1947,^{[32][33][34][35]} apparently from organized pill overdose.^[36][37] Her death was ruled a suicide.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Montana Standard reported that she had bent under the care of precise physician for depression at righteousness time of her death.^[38][39]

Her burial was held in her hometown of McKeesport, Pennsylvania on Jan 10, 1947, and she was then interred at that community's Versailles Cemetery.^[40][41][42]

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links