Miss Quimby Flies
English Channel
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American the First Woman to
Pilot an Aeroplane Across---
Alights Near Boulogne.
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HAS MADE OTHER RECORDS
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The First Woman to Obtain an Avia-
tion
Diploma in This Country---
Refused to Fly on Sunday.
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By
Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph
to New York Times
LONDON, April 16.---Miss Harriet Quimby, the American airwoman,
flying under the name of "Miss Craig," flew across the English
Channel today, being the first woman pilot to accomplish this
feat.
She left the Dover aerodrome on a Bleriot monoplane at 5:30 A.M.
passing over the town at a good speed and at a great height. She
disappeared in the direction of Calais, and thirty minutes later
was seen over Cape Gris Nez. She landed safely at Hardelot,
further down the coast, near Boulogne, after making two circles
over Boulogne.
Miss Quimby stated that she had a splendid trip in spite of the
fog. She says she intends to return to England by air.
Miss Quimby, who had not previously flown in this country, was the
first woman in America to win a license as an aviation pilot. She
also has a French air license. When flying, she wears a
knickerbocker costume of thick wool, packed with satin. It is made
in one piece, including the hood, which by an ingenious device can
be converted into a conventional walking skirt.
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Miss Quimby's feat is not the first in which this particularly
daring young woman has led the way for her sex. She won the first
air diploma for a woman in America, made the first flight by a
woman in this country, and for a period held the American
endurance record.
Once at an aviation meet at Nassau Boulevard Miss Quimby achieved
fame of another kind by positively refusing a large financial
return if she would consent to go aloft on Sunday. She had
established the American endurance record for women the day before
and was on the programme to defend her title against Mile. Detrieu,
who had just arrived from France after sweeping the field of
records for women. Miss Quimby announced that she had promised her
mother that she would not fly on Sunday and would not think of
doing so. From a hangar she watched her opponent soar aloft until
her own record had been broken by many minutes. She said she
didn't care, as a record won on Sunday would be to her not worth
the while.
Until August of last year Miss Quimby had never been heard of in
the field of aviation, although she was beginning to make her way
as a magazine writer and author of books. One afternoon at
Hempstead Plains, it was announced that a woman was going to fly
for her pilot's license. The aviators at the flying ground did not
believe the report. Miss Quimby appeared, however, in flying togs.
At 5 o'clock she climbed into her machine for a trial spin, but
there was much fog overhead, and she hesitated until 7 o'clock,
when she took to the air in the presence of a few spectators. She
rose to a height of 100 feet, cut a series of figures of eight,
from which she had ascended. On a second spin she went to a height
of 200 feet, to comply with the regulation as to altitude, and on
a third she made an effort to show her control in starting and
alighting. She came down at last a full-fledged airwoman, and
there was considerable applause. That was last Aug. 2.
Miss Quimby's next appearance was destined to give her permanent
fame. At a Staten Island fair in September she essayed to fly,
and, news of her plan having been spread abroad, motion picture
men, camera men, kodak men, and special writers appeared upon the
scene. Miss Quimby did very well, and thereafter her photographs
became familiar.
Early this year she went abroad. It was not supposed by her friends
here that she meant to make any flights while in Europe. She was
taught to fly by A. J. Houpert in the Moisant monoplane that was
used by Matilde Moisant during her period of instruction.
