It was 1973 and twenty-three year old Norah O’Neill had just finished modeling ski clothes for a photo shoot on Mt. McKinley. She chose to ride in the cockpit during the flight back to Talkeetna, Alaska. Curiosity, wonder, and fear combined with a need to see the earth from a bird’s view changed her life. She stayed in Alaska so she could learn how to fly—whatever it took.
What it took was a night shift job at a popular bar, a furnace room for a home, and spending every cent on flight school. Then it was off to stay with Mom and Dad until she got her advanced flying licenses. That done, she returned to Alaska looking for a job and was hired by the owner of a flight school willing to give her a chance because he understood her love of flying and because a woman flight instructor would help bring in male customers. From then on O’Neill made her living from flying, going on to pilot charter flights, mail, cargo and eventually become the first woman pilot hired by the post war Flying Tigers Airline.
O’Neill knew her flying skills would have to be top notch to be hired as a female pilot. What she didn’t know was that some of the male pilots she flew with would make her job as difficult as possible because she was a woman. Spurious rumors circulated that she’d slept with the boss at the flight instructor school, male pilots referred to her as “an accident waiting to happen,” while a chief pilot refused to fly with her to give the required FAA tests because she was a woman. Her boss gave her the tests, which she passed. In the FlyingTigers the harassment continued with comments like, “Your tie is going to look good tucked into that cleavage” and “You’ll never make it through (flight) school. You may have brains but it takes balls to fly.” O’Neill, bolstered by a few supportive pilots and nurturing friends, proved them wrong.
O’Neill is retired now but pursues speaking engagements about her experience. She finds girls still reluctant to consider becoming a pilot and hopes hearing about her might allow those who dream of flying to take the chance. She has published a memoir of her flying experience, Flying Tigress, and will be speaking about her career as a female pilot on September 18, 2012, 7pm, at the Des Moines Senior Activity Center, 2045 S. 216th St, Des Moines, WA 98198. 206- 878-1642.
Suggested donation $2 to support Des Moines Senior Activity Center
