Amalia Celia Figueredo
Amalia Celia Figueredo, was an Argentine aviator. She was the first woman in Argentina, and possibly in Latin America, to obtain a pilot's license.
Biography
Figueredo made her first flight at Villa Lugano aerodrome in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1914, with the Frenchman Paul Castaibert. Castaibert was an aircraft builder as well as an aviator, and taught Figueredo to fly in one of his 25-horsepower Castaibert-Anzani monoplanes. However, as the monoplane had only a single cockpit, Figueredo had to be instructed on land. She subsequently moved to Marcel Paillete's flying school in San Fernando, where she flew in 50-horsepower Farman-Gnome biplanes with an instructor in the air with her. Figueredo attempted her pilot license test in September that year, but suffered an accident and re-took the test in October, passing with distinction.Figueredo became skilled in aerobatics, and performed at the old National Race course, the Sportiva Argentina in Palermo and the airfield at Villa Lugano. In June 1915, she organised a flight from Buenos Aires to her hometown of Rosario, where she carried out several demonstration flights in a Farman aircraft.
Figueredo retired from aviation soon after, when she married Alexander Carlos Pietra.