Jacqueline Cochran was one of the women pioneers of aviation. She was close friends with Amelia Earhart and had many achievements in flying.   Jackie was born around 1910. She was an orphan and the foster family she lived with was very poor. When Jackie was only eight years old, she dropped out of school and began working. When Jackie was fourteen years old, she moved away from her foster family and began working as a hair dresser. She also opened a cosmetic business.

In 1932, Jackie began taking flying lessons. She received her pilot license after only three weeks of lessons! Then she began to race airplanes competitively. In 1935, she tried to enter a very prestigious race called the Bendix. Amelia Earhart also tried to enter this race, but both Amelia Earhart and Jackie Cochran were told that they were not allowed to participate in the race because they were women. They staged a protest, and finally an agreement was signed allowing them to enter the race. Amelia Earhart placed fifth, and although Jackie Cochran didn’t finish the race because of technical problems with her plane, she had still helped advance the role of women in aviation. Jackie continued to participate in the Bendix race, and in 1938 she won first place in the race. 

Some of Jackie’s major achievements include being the first woman to break the sound barrier, setting nine international jet records in altitude, speed, and distance, and being appointed to the position of director of Women’s Airforce Service Pilots.

For more information on Jackie Cochran, you can visit the following websites:

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