The pioneering women pilots of Ecuadorian aviation

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In this issue we will review some of the cases of those who have been the pioneering women pilots of the aviation of the Ecuador along the history.

From a sector "dominated" by men, today we are experiencing a logical cultural change and increasingly, for the benefit of aviation, we see more women forming part of this exciting aeronautical industry, occupying important positions in various areas from the administrative, up to the operating without restrictions.

Definitely, women offer a different and more detailed vision in aviation and that is why I want to pay this tribute to those ladies of the air who paved the way and dared so that today more and more women get involved and interested in flying as high as their dreams can do.

Pioneer women pilots in Ecuador

Without a doubt, there are many more women who have been key to advancing gender equality in aviation in Ecuador., but here I will show some examples focused on the art of flying aircraft, but you can see more examples here:

Ecuadorian Women in Aviation

Hermelinda Urvina

• Birth 26 September 1905 in Ambato, Ecuador
• Death 20 September 2008 (102 years) in Toronto, Canada
• Ecuatorian nationality

Hermelinda was born in Ambato in 1905 and is the first Ecuadorian and South American woman to obtain an aviation pilot's license in the year 1932 at Safair Flying School, but this license was obtained in the United States.

In this country, she founded the largest organization of female pilots in North America called Ninety Niners and shared space with the famous Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh., to later obtain the pilot's license from Mexico, where I would fly on a mail carrier between this country and New York, marking many more achievements during his career.

Anita Swanton

For 1943 became the first female aviator Flying Club of Ecuador when at 10:20 in the morning he made his flight alone, making two take-offs in an Aeronca aircraft, accumulating like this 9 hours of flight within the 20th Civil Pilot course that included 15 students.

I share with you the press clipping of the time shared by his family:

Aura Almeida de Morán

• Birth 1939 and Nobol, Ecuador
• Death 7 april 2010 in Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Ecuatorian nationality

Regrettably, history tells very little about Aura, but she was the first woman in Ecuador to have an Ecuadorian pilot's license.

For 1956 entered with only 17 years to the Aeroclub of Ecuador at the Guayaquil Airport, Where did you get your professional air pilot license? 27 October 1957.

Later, and thanks to her efforts, she became the owner of a fleet of 10 Cessna-type aircraft 150, 180 and 182 of your company Viansa, one of the most important of the time that transported passengers and cargo in a combined way in the cities of the coast such as Esmeraldas, Quevedo, Machala and others.

Rachel Sviercovich

Raque was born one 4 September 1964 and currently has in his blog with 14.517 flight hours. She is the first female commercial pilot in Ecuador and it all started in 1983 when he started his career in Icaro.

Passionate and student of aviation, she overcame endless obstacles during her career, having flown in important national and international airlines such as the historic Ecuatoriana de Aviación, he even commanded the largest plane that an Ecuadorian airline has ever operated, the Airbus A330.

She was not only the first female commercial pilot in Ecuador, she was also the first female flight instructor, flight engineer, co-pilot and pilot of an airline in the country, also having extensive international certifications and accreditations, being a reference and source of inspiration for many young women who start this exciting career.

Johanna Santacruz

Second Lieutenant Santacruz was the oldest cadet in the first class of female combat pilots of the Horus squadron of the Ecuadorian Air Force., graduating with the highest grades 32 cadets, of which 27 they were men.

Diana Ruiz Solis

Born in Píllaro on 7 april 1992 became the first female pilot in Ecuador aboard a supersonic aircraft, in this case a Cheetah.

The 13 march 2014 for the first time a female pilot from the Ecuadorian Air Force took off on a mission to break the sound barrier, with 22 years the flight was made at 30 thousand feet high in the area of ​​the Taura Air Base.

Maria Jose Narvaez

in January 2016 María José became the first woman to complete her solo flight in a TH-57A helicopter of the Ecuadorian Air Force after carrying out 30 minutes of stop and take off maneuvers at the José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport in the city of Guayaquil.

Maria Elena Cardenas Zambrano

His career began after 9 months of studies at the Icarus school in Quito, where she is from, making his first flight as a Police in the year 2009 at the Guayaquil Airport and thus being the first female pilot of this state institution. to their 34 years has served in the spaces of the Quito Aeropolicial, pasta, Guayaquil and Manabi.

Maria Jose Cueva and Jazmin Perez

María José and Jazmín graduated from the 2019 as the first female combat pilots in Ecuador, but more details of its history can be read here:

Ecuadorian Air Force graduated First Women Fighter Pilots

These are just a few examples of pioneering women pilots in Ecuador, who have forged their careers in a predominantly macho industry, but despite adversity they have continued to grow in all aspects of their lives.

There are hundreds of other women who stand out day by day in Ecuadorian aviation and their story must be told., That is why I open this space so that more contributions can be incorporated into this publication and the voice of women can be heard louder and louder..

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