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Amalia Celia Figueredo – Argentina

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Amalia Celia Figueredo

Amalia Celia Figueredo (1895 – 1985) settled down in the environs of the Villa Lugano aerodrome in 1914. She became acquainted with the Frenchman Paul Castaibert, aviator and builder of airplanes, with whom she made her first flight. She changed her previous vocational plans, turning them completely upside down, when she enrolled in a pilot training course taught by Castaibert in a Castaibert-Anzani monoplane of 25 HP. Soon she advanced to the San Fernando school of aviator Marcel Paillete, beginning a new course in a 50 HP Farman-Gnome biplane. Months later, on the 6th of September, Amalia was ready to take the examination to earn her pilot license. However, she had bad luck and during the test suffered an accident, happily without injuries. On October 1 1914, she tried again, this time passing the test with distinction.

The exhibitions carried out by this novel aviatrix were numerous. The old National Race course, the field of the Sportiva Argentina in Palermo and the aerodrome of Villa Lugano, were scenes of her aerial demonstrations, earning for her both admiration and popularity. In June of 1915, she initiated a flight between Buenos Aires and her native city, Rosario, where she carried out several flights in a Farman airplane. Upon her return to Buenos Aires, her aerial activities were reduced considerably due to her marriage to Alexander Carlos Pietra, who persuaded her to abandon her aeronautical career.

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary (October 1, 1964) of her obtaining her license, the Ministry of Aeronautics, in the person of Brigadier Carlos Armanini, at that time Air force commander-in-chief, awarded Amalia Celia Figueredo de Pietra the honorary designation of Military pilot. On January 21, 1970, by decree of Law 18,559, the title of Precursora de la Aeronáutica Argentina was conferred on her.

1910 - 1919
July 24, 2015 Centennial Team

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