Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant: Two Remarkable Pilots Finally Getting Their Story Told
Sponsored and Written By “Back Table Ink”
“Sermons may teach us how to die but plays teach us how to live. So much for the play’s ethical value.”
Harriet Quimby, born May 11th, 1875, was a woman of firsts. The determination to live fully and commit wholeheartedly to every passion (of which there were many) defined Harriet throughout her life. The Aviatrix: A New Musical, celebrates Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant, two pioneers in aviation and women’s rights that have been forgotten in our history books. Their stories deserve to be sung from the rooftops.
From the beginning, Harriet’s guiding force was her mother, Ursula. A woman ahead of time in her own right, she raised Harriet to forge her own destiny and never depend upon a man. Such encouragement lead to Harriet’s success as a journalist - a profession widely revered at the time but with very few women. In true Harriet form, she didn’t just excel in her writing, she set herself apart by taking her own photographs for her articles. This made her unique among journalists and the humanity she brought to her subjects captivated her audience. After writing for three different papers to help support her parents, she finally moved to NYC to further her career and began working for Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper; writing over two hundred and fifty articles for them.
Harriet Quimby
In 1910, Harriet covered two aviation competitions and fell instantly in love with flying. It was there that she met Matilde Moisant, another avid flight fan. Matilde and Harriet became fast friends and together secured spots in the Moisant Aviation School, run by Matilde’s brothers, Alfred and John, well known aviators themselves. The school, situated on Long Island in the heart of American aviation, required five weeks of rigorous training. Harriet and Matilde were the first women to ever attend. While John died in flight just before the two future aviatrixes could begin their training, Alfred Moisant agreed to train his sister and Harriet, despite discouragement from the rest of the Moisant family.
Unlike most early aviators, Harriet did not possess the wealth required to pursue flying. Planes, fuel, training, and a ground team came with a high price tag. Ms. Quimby, a poor farmer’s daughter, could only rely on her wit and skill to acquire the funds needed. After weeks of clandestinely driving out to Heampstead at four in morning for her flight lessons, Harriet was able to persuade her employers that paying for her tuition would ultimately benefit the paper as well.
An eager student, Harriet took to the sport quickly. Though it still presented its challenges. Said Harriet, “This looks quite easy, until one discovers that an aeroplane has the perversity common to all inanimate objects. It persists in moving the other way, instead of the way you seek to direct it.”
Most aviators and journalists of the time shrugged off Harriet and Matilde’s efforts, assuming inferiority on the basis of their gender. “The sport is not one for which women are physically qualified. As a rule, they lack strength, presence of mind, and the courage to excel as aviators.” (New York Sun, 1912) Despite the widespread resistance, on August 1st, 1911, the two friends became the first and second licensed female pilots in America, breaking a handful of flight records, and sparking a surge of popularity for the two across the nation and around the globe.
Harriet Quimby
Harriet quickly became known as one of the best aviators and feminist icons of the time. The earnings from her many competition wins made her one of the first professional pilots. She even designed and commissioned a special flight suit. Bright purple, the suit converted from pants to a skirt when she stood up in the plane. Harriet continued working as both a full-time reporter and Aviatrix until her untimely death in 1912.
Matilde continued to climb in the field of aviation as well, though her fears of crashing, seeded by her brother John’s death, plagued her throughout her entire career. “The Earth is bound to get us after a while,” she said, “so I shall give up flying before I follow my brother” After one more close encounter, Moisant vowed to hang up flight for good. A promise to herself only broken after the first world war began, where she volunteered her flight skills by flying medical supplies in Europe.
Despite their incredible stories and contributions to aviation history, both Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant became obscured over time, lost from the history books. The colorful and detailed origins of flight reduced to little more than the Wright Brothers and the occasional look at Amelia Earhart. The creators behind The Aviatrix Musical hope to bring about a resurgence of excitement for these influential figures in our nation’s history.
You can watch the trailer and buy tickets here