Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?

The story behind the answer

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Earhart completed the historic flight on May 20–21, 1932, flying a single-engine Lockheed Vega from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, to a pasture near Culmore, Northern Ireland. The journey lasted about 14 hours and 56 minutes. She faced strong winds, icing, mechanical problems, and limited visibility before landing safely.

Her achievement followed an earlier Atlantic crossing in 1928, when Earhart became the first woman to cross the ocean by air as a passenger aboard the aircraft Friendship. She later emphasized that pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon had done the flying on that expedition, which motivated her to attempt the journey alone.

A frequent mix-up involves Beryl Markham, who in 1936 became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Earhart's 1932 flight traveled west to east and was the first nonstop solo Atlantic flight by a woman. She received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the achievement.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: