Alia Twal is one of 20 female pilots in Jordan, a country with a population of 6.3 million. With Middle East air carriers expanding, the time is ripe for women to enter the cockpit.
9 female aviation innovators —
Alia Twal is one of 20 female pilots in Jordan, a country with a population of 6.3 million. With Middle East air carriers expanding, the time is ripe for women to enter the cockpit.
Courtesy Alia Twal
Patricia Mawuli is Ghana's first female civilian pilot and the first woman in West Africa certified to build and maintain rotax engines.
9 female aviation innovators —
Patricia Mawuli is Ghana's first female civilian pilot and the first woman in West Africa certified to build and maintain rotax engines.
CNN
Esther Mbabazi is Rwanda's first female commercial pilot. Her desire to take to the skies never wavered, even after her father passed away in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
9 female aviation innovators —
Esther Mbabazi is Rwanda's first female commercial pilot. Her desire to take to the skies never wavered, even after her father passed away in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Marc Hoeferlin
Female pilots exist even in countries with a contentious track record regarding women's rights. Latifa Nabizada (pictured) is Afghanistan's first woman military helicopter pilot.
9 female aviation innovators —
Female pilots exist even in countries with a contentious track record regarding women's rights. Latifa Nabizada (pictured) is Afghanistan's first woman military helicopter pilot.
Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images
Female aviation history in the region extends as far back as the '30s. <br />Pilot Sahavet Yslamazturk (pictured) was one of a small group of Turkish women aviators trained at the Turkkusu ('Turkishbird') Flight School.
9 female aviation innovators —
Female aviation history in the region extends as far back as the '30s.
Pilot Sahavet Yslamazturk (pictured) was one of a small group of Turkish women aviators trained at the Turkkusu ('Turkishbird') Flight School.
General Photographic Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Amelia Earhart is perhaps one of the most famous female aviators of all time. In 1928, she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic as a passenger, and in 1932, the first to make the flight solo.
9 female aviation innovators —
Amelia Earhart is perhaps one of the most famous female aviators of all time. In 1928, she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic as a passenger, and in 1932, the first to make the flight solo.
Staff/AFP/Getty Images
American pilot Jacqueline Cochran was considered one of the most gifted racer pilots, of any gender, of her generation. In 1953, she became the first woman to break the sound barrier.
9 female aviation innovators —
American pilot Jacqueline Cochran was considered one of the most gifted racer pilots, of any gender, of her generation. In 1953, she became the first woman to break the sound barrier.
FPG/Getty Images
British aviator Amy Johnson was well known for her daredevil antics. At the age of 26, she was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia.
9 female aviation innovators —
British aviator Amy Johnson was well known for her daredevil antics. At the age of 26, she was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Bulgarian pilot Maria Atanossova was the first woman to pilot a commercial flight into the UK.
9 female aviation innovators —
Bulgarian pilot Maria Atanossova was the first woman to pilot a commercial flight into the UK.
Keystone/Getty Images