This post was contributed by Chris Cottrill, Head Librarian, National Air and Space Museum Library.
The first years of early 20th century aviation were a time of rapid technological change in aircraft design and experimental flights. They were also years of opportunity for some women, to test the rules of polite society by learning to go aloft in these new “flying machines.” Aviation journals of the day noted that women were interested in aviation in Europe and North America and that some were piloting aircraft up into the sky. Examples of this interest can be seen in the pages of the magazine Aircraft (1910-1915), digitized by the Smithsonian Libraries.