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Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was the first African American and first Native American woman pilot.
The Bi-Plane Pilot
Bessie the bi-plane pilot loved to fly her plane any time anywhere. She loved to fly fast and high. Bessie was very brave and wanted people to believe anything is possible if you try very hard. One day, she decided to enter a flying contest with other pilots from around the world. She wanted to show them what her bi-plane could do and how skilled she was as a pilot.
The contest had three challenges: speed, altitude, and acrobatics. Bessie was confident that she could ace them all. She took off from the runway and zoomed past the other planes in the speed challenge. She soared above the clouds and reached the highest point in the altitude challenge. She performed amazing loops and rolls and twists in the acrobatics challenge. The crowd cheered and clapped as they watched her amazing feats.
Bessie landed her plane and waited for the results. She was sure that she had won the contest. But when the judges announced the winner, it was not her name that they called. It was another pilot who had flown a more modern and powerful plane. Bessie felt a pang of disappointment and sadness. She had tried so hard and done so well, but it was not enough.
She walked over to the winner and congratulated him. He smiled and thanked her, but then he said something that surprised her. He said that he was impressed by her performance and that he admired her courage and passion. He said that he had never seen anyone fly a bi-plane like she did and that he wished he could fly like her. He said that she was an inspiration to him and to many others who watched her fly.
Bessie felt a warm glow in her heart. She realized that even though she did not win the contest, she had achieved something more important. She had shown everyone what a bi-plane could do and how a brave pilot could fly it. She had made people believe that anything is possible if you try very hard. She smiled and thanked him for his kind words. She felt proud of herself and of her plane.
She decided to keep flying her bi-plane any time anywhere. She loved to fly fast and high. Bessie was very brave and wanted people to believe anything is possible if you try very hard.
***
Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was the first African American and first Native American woman pilot. Born in Texas in 1892 during the age of Jim Crow segregation and overt racism, she was refused admission into every U.S. flying school because of her ethnicity. Rather than let that deter her, she learned French so she could go to aviation school in France, where there was far less prejudice against people of color.
In 1921, Coleman received her international pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Bessie Coleman
Coleman in 1923
Born
January 26, 1892
Atlanta, Texas, U.S.
Died
April 30, 1926 (aged 34)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Cause of death
Plane crash
Burial place
Lincoln Cemetery, Cook County, Illinois
Known for
First African-American and Native American female aviator
Spouse
Claude Glenn