FAI General Aviation Commission (GAC)
News
Ninety years since Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
On this day in 1932, pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart touched down in Londonderry, Northern Ireland after a 15-hour transatlantic flight that started in Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada.
Completing this formidable journey made her the first woman ever to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean.
About Earhart’s transatlantic flight
Amelia Earhart was 34 years old when she took off in her single engine Lockheed Vega plane from Harbour Grace in Newfoundland on 20 May 1932.
In fond memory of Rodney Blois
British pilot Rodney Blois sadly passed away at the beginning of 2021. A respected and well-known figure of the Federation and aviation community, he is remembered fondly by his many friends.
28 March 1910: anniversary of the first successful powered seaplane flight
One hundred and ten years ago on 28 March 1910, Frenchman Henri Fabre achieved successful lift off of an aircraft not from the ground, but from the water, and also landed it back on the water – a first in the history of aviation.
An engineer born in 1882 in Marseille, France, Fabre came from a family of ship owners. After studying science and engineering, he spent four years designing, building and testing his seaplane (hydravion) with the help and expertise of two mechanics and a naval architect.
Celebrating the International Women's Day: on 8 March 1910, Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to earn a pilot licence
One hundred and ten years ago today, on 8 March 1910, Frenchwoman Elise Deroche, aka Baroness Raymonde de Laroche, became the first woman pilot in the world to earn an airplane pilot licence.
The Aero Club de France, FAI Founding Member, issued Laroche’s licence. Aero clubs started to grant licences in 1910, with very few women receiving them.
