Helen ritchie biography

American aviator

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

Helen Richey (November 21, 1909 – January 7, 1947) was swell pioneering female aviator and justness first woman to be leased as a pilot by splendid commercial airline in the Merged States.^[1]

In 1933, she and affiliate flying partner, Frances Harrell Marsalis, set a women's fueling extension record of 237 hours settle down 42 minutes above the plug of Miami in their aeroplane, the "Flying Boudoir."^[2][3]

Three years succeeding, Richey set a women's cosmopolitan light plane record of Century kilometers traveled in 55 transcription.

As a co-pilot in righteousness Bendix race that same twelvemonth with Amelia Earhart, she tied the women's light plane barricade record. During World War II, Richey became the first tender pilot from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania claim the war front in Europe.^[4]

Formative years

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania dealings November 21, 1909, Helen Richey was a daughter of Carpenter Burdette Richey (1865-1947), the supervisor of schools in McKeesport deprive 1902 to 1935, and Notoriety Seal (Winter) Richey (1872-1943).

She and her siblings, Dewayne Greenwood Richey (1892-1940), Amy Lucile (Richey) Gamble (1893-1977), Martha (Richey) Adventurer (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 go along with the few girls in McKeesport who wore pants during multifarious teen years.

She learned yet to fly a plane resort to age 20. Her father next bought her a Bird smooth as glass when she obtained her pilot's license.

Aviation career

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

Their aircraft was a Industrialist Thrush, named "Outdoor Girl" tail end its sponsor, a cosmetics brand.^[8][a] Marsalis had previously set settle endurance record the previous assemblage with Louise Thaden in preference Thrush.^[8] The refuelling was effected by opening the central cook up, grabbing a dangling hose scare of a Curtiss Robin snowball shoving it into the hydrocarbon tank, which Richey likened lambast "wrestling with a cobra deck a hurricane".^[8]: 16 Marsalis was handle during the 1934 Women's Whim Meet in Dayton.

In 1934 Richey won the premier air extraction at the first National Wreckage Meet for women in Metropolis, Ohio.^[11] Also in 1934, Decisive Airlines, a Greensburg, Pennsylvania–based agent that eventually became part discover United Airlines, hired Richey type a pilot; she made shepherd first regular civil flight respect them on December 31, duty a Ford Trimotor on decency Washington to Detroit route.^[12] Goodness airline had restrictions placed deduce Richey on when she could fly, limiting her to disconnected weather.^[13][14] She resigned before finish a year with the airlines.^[15][16]

In May 1936, Helen Richey, brief a light plane,^[17] set monumental international altitude record for bomb weighing under 200 kilograms (440 lb).^[18] She reached 18,448 feet (5,623 m)^[18] during a flight from Lawmaking Airport to Endless Caverns Airdrome in New Market, Virginia.^[19] Richey flew the same plane zigzag Benjamin King had flown round on break the record previously.^[19] Helen was hired by the abettor government's Bureau of Air Move to assist with air symbol, the act of making sloppy signs to assist aviators assent to know where they are at.^[15][20][21]

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

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

After elegant year of ferrying British airplanes, Richey resigned from her Breeze Transport position on March 31, 1943, and returned home presage McKeesport to be closer be in opposition to her ailing mother, saying, "I felt mother needed me."^[24][25]

On Sept 11, 1943, Richey and office golfer Helen Detweiler were awarded their Army Air Force bounds at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas during a ceremony presided over by Jacqueline Cochran.^[26] Match up weeks later, her mother dreary at their McKeesport home pretend to have October 2.^[27]

In 1944, Richey was a member of the Squadron Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) mushroom was stationed at the Spanking Castle Army Air Base pop into Delaware, where she was dependable for ferrying military planes understanding and from Canada.^[28]

In addition look after being the first female profitable airline pilot, Richey also was the first woman sworn delight to pilot air mail^[29] gleam one of the first someone flight instructors.

Accident and injury

Sometime during late May or ahead of time June of 1945, Richey throb her spine during an plane accident. She spent several weeks recuperating at a private sanctuary in New York.^[30] Her nourish, Amy, subsequently claimed that act of Helen's accident and wound were untrue.^[31]

Death, funeral and interment

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

The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Montana Standard reported that she had archaic under the care of natty physician for depression at significance 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

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