The 1910 aviatrix appeared to be non-existent according to the New York Herald. Men found a woman’s role in aviation acceptable as long as she stayed on the sidelines. Contrary to this attitude, women began paying close attention to aviation. They attended aviation shows and inquired about flight lessons. Finding a flight instructor proved to be another matter.
Men’s Attitudes
Few men felt that the 1910 aviatrix should succeed. Baroness de Laroche’s near fatal crash contributed to this small percentage. For some, it proved that women were incapable of being aviators. The following statement reflects the male viewpoint about women in the cockpit.
“Women aviators!” exclaimed Captain Thomas S. Baldwin. It means nothing but danger and accident, if nothing worse. Why? Because women are temperamentally unfit to guide an aeroplane. They are not stolid enough and too imaginative. Women see the many sides of a question at once and therefore find it hard to choose. The operator of an aeroplane must see just one thing, and that must be the right thing, and he must do it at once with arguing with himself.
“The 1910 aviatrix, when an emergency arises, sees a half dozen courses to pursue. She thinks she can go up or down, right or left, keep straight ahead, just drop or do nothing, and see what will happen. Now take the case of Mme. De Laroche. That was a perfect example of a folly of woman attempting to drive an aeroplane at its present stage of development. Had a man been in the machine instead of its occupant being Mme. De Laroche, I don’t believe there would have been any accident. But she lost her head, and then lost control of the airplane.”
Persona of the 1910 Aviatrix
The consensus seemed to be that women lacked any inherent ability to become pilots. On the other hand, men indicated that there might be exceptions. Clearly, a pilot needed confidence and courage. Could a woman possess such traits? The press though not. Apprehension replaced a woman’s confidence. Yet, “Women are courageous, but it takes more than courage to drive an aeroplane. No, women ought to keep out of aeroplanes.”
Fortunately, women proved the that they possessed all the requirements to safely navigate through the air.