Ana Branger facts for kids
Ana Luisa Branger, born in the early 1920s, was a very important female pilot from Venezuela. She is remembered as a pioneer because she was one of the first women to fly airplanes in her country.
She earned her pilot's license in 1942. She trained at the Escuela de Aviación Miguel Rodríguez in Maracay, Venezuela. While another Venezuelan woman, Mary Calcaño, got her license earlier in 1939, Ana Branger was special. Mary Calcaño got her license in the United States. Ana Branger was the first woman to graduate from the Miguel Rodríguez school, which was the only pilot training school in Venezuela during the 1940s.
Flying High and Breaking Records
After getting her license, Ana Branger joined the Civil Aeronautics Instruction Center. This center was located at the La Carlota air base. She didn't just fly in Venezuela. She also flew planes in Peru and the United States.
In the United States, she achieved amazing things. She broke two world records for flying light planes very high.
World Records
- First Record (1950): Ana Branger flew a small plane called a Cub Special to an incredible height of 24,504 feet. This was much higher than the previous record of 18,999 feet, set by Elizabeth Boselli.
- Second Record (1951): The very next year, she broke her own record! She flew even higher, reaching 28,820 feet. This broke the record of 25,000 feet, which was held by René Leduc.
News about her record-breaking flights was shared all over the world.
Beyond Flying
Ana Branger is also known for her work outside of flying. She served as a cultural attaché at Venezuela's embassy in Washington, D.C.. This means she helped share Venezuelan culture and build good relationships between Venezuela and the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Ana Branger para niños