We're celebrating National Women in Aviation Week by celebrating the women who fly in the skies above us- both on our planet and ones in the galaxy far, far away. Today we highlight two of the fastest-flying pilots you'll find in the cockpit!
At just fifteen years old, Torra Doza is among the youngest of Ace Squadron in Star Wars Resistance. Torra's curiosity and desire to help gives her a knack for getting into trouble, but her passion for flying and strong drive helps solve her problems. She's compassionate and empathetic, but also a gifted racer, able to outlfy just about anybody. Her speed and agility in the cockpit makes her stand out amongst her peers.
That brings us to our real life pilot of today, Jacqueline Cochran. With a lot of work experience in salons and a passion for cosmetics, thinking about doing travelling cosmetics for sales led her to try flying for herself. Jacqueline received her pilots license after just three weeks of training, and she kept that emphasis on speed throughout her career. She didn't leave cosmetics behind either though, she was known to be seen fixing her hair and touching up her makeup after every flight, making sure she always had her best face on for the image of female pilots at the time. She felt a pull towards air racing, and flew as the first woman in the Bendix Transcontinental Air Race in 1935.
Just over five years later she will have not only won the race, but set speed records and worked as a test pilot. Jacqueline would go on to share her gifts, training other women in war transport flying and in the Army Air Force. Jacqueline would also take leadership positions in groups like Women's Airforce Service Pilots to guide and support female pilots just like her. Though just because she took on an office role doesn't mean she left flying behind- she continued to break her own speed records, then she trained to become the first woman to break the sound barrier. In 1953, she did- but when she learned that the men in the tower hadn't heard the sonic boom, she broke the sound barrier again that same day to make sure no one would doubt her.
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