This Month in Aviation History
By Regan Tunstall
On June 11th, 1971, an English aviator named Sheila Scott, made history by being the first to fly around the world by going over the North Pole. Scott had already broken several records, such as being the first European woman to fly solo around the world in 1966 and setting a new light aircraft speed record in 1967. This was Scotts third trip around the world, flying her new twin-engine Piper Aztec called Mythre. Her 55-day journey started south of the equator in Nairobi, Kenya, she then flew back to London, crossed over the North Pole in Greenland, flew through a few cities in Alaska, and then later recrossed the equator on her way to Canton Island. Her trip ended on August 4th when she landed back in London. Her plane, Mythre was later brought back to the Piper factory in Pennsylvania but unfortunately was destroyed along with many others by a flood in 1972. Scott went on to achieve much more in her life until her death in London, 1988.
On July 26th, 1937, Jacqueline Cochran, a famous female aviator, set a new speed record of 203.895 miles per hour over a 1,000-kilometer course. At 27 years old, Cochran completed the 3 hour and 2-minute round trip between Burbank and Oakland. Cochran averaged 203.89 miles per hour in her Beechcraft D17W Staggerwing, beating the previous record set by Mrs. Louise Thaden in 1929. After three attempts, she won the Bendix Trophy Race in 1938 by flying a P-35 pursuit plane and in 1953 she was the first woman to break the sound barrier. During World War 2, Cochran also founded the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) which later led to her receiving the Distinguished Service Medal. Cochran was determined to break many records and learn as much as she could in the process, she continued making her mark in aviation history until her death in 1980.
