On May 23, ten Italian flying clubs celebrated the first Fiorenza Day in tribute to Fiorenza De Bernardi, the country's first female airline pilot, who passed away in December at the age of 97. The event aims to promote women in aviation. Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti encouraged women to fly: all it takes is willpower and study. De Bernardi started in 1951, was hired in 1967, and by 1969 she was already a captain.
How to take off without breaking the glass ceiling ✈️
De Bernardi's career was not a stroke of luck, but a sequence of technical decisions and continuous training. In the 1950s, obtaining a pilot's license required passing theoretical exams in navigation, meteorology, and mechanics, as well as accumulating flight hours in light aircraft like the Piper Cub. Being hired by an airline in 1967 meant mastering radio systems, emergency procedures, and the rigorous discipline of passenger cabins. There were no shortcuts: merit was the only turbine.
The day women said 'I'm in control' 👩✈️
That in 2024 we need to celebrate a day so women know they can fly is almost as absurd as thinking a flight attendant knows more about engines than the pilot. But hey, if Samantha Cristoforetti, who has been in space, says that willpower and study are enough, we should listen to her. Of course, no one should expect the Fiorenza Day to include lessons on how to fix the coffee machine: that, apparently, is still a captain's job.