Bettina Kadner facts for kids

Bettina Inés Kadner Schilling, born in 1946, is a famous Spanish aviator. She made history in 1969. At just 22 years old, she became the first woman to pilot a passenger plane in Europe. Later, in 1998, she was the first female pilot in command in Spain. She was also the second in Europe to achieve this. She flew for Iberia, a major airline, from 1985 until she retired in 2006.

Biography

Bettina Kadner was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1946. Her family was German. Her grandfather was a pilot during World War I. This might have inspired her love for flying. Her parents moved to Madrid after World War II. Bettina's mother, Ute Kadner, was an artist. She also owned a metal furniture factory. Her mother imported special machines for airport runways. When Bettina was 12, she started going to work with her mother. She quickly fell in love with airplanes. That's when she decided she wanted to be a pilot.

Bettina began her pilot training in the early 1960s. After finishing high school at 18, she studied at aviation schools. These were located in Cuatro Vientos and Alcantarilla. She also took important exams at the National Aeronautics School in Salamanca. After more than five years of hard work, she earned her pilot license. This happened in October 1969. She helped change rules that stopped women from flying commercial planes.

For ten years, Bettina was the only woman flying a commercial plane in Spain. It was not easy for her to join the workforce. Sometimes, she heard other pilots on the radio say things like, "Bettina, to the kitchen." This showed the challenges she faced.

Finding a job was also difficult. She first applied to Iberia. But they told her it was impossible for a woman to work there. After many months, she found a job at Spantax. This was one of the first Spanish airlines to hire women. Spantax hired her right away. One of her first flights was from Madrid to Las Palmas. She flew a Fokker plane. She also worked as a copilot on other planes. These included the Douglas DC-6, DC-7, and DC-9. Later, she became a pilot in command. She flew the F27 and the Boeing 737.

In 1985, Iberia finally hired Bettina. She started as a second officer. In 1998, she was promoted to pilot in command. She flew the Airbus A320 model. Most of her flights were within Europe. Her last flight as a professional pilot was in November 2006.

Achievements

Bettina Kadner became the first female pilot in command in Spain. She was the second in Europe to achieve this. Her success paved the way for other women pilots. These included María Aburto and Rosa García Santolaya.

In 2019, Bettina received a special award. Rovira i Virgili University gave her an honorary doctorate degree. This award recognized her amazing career and achievements.

See also

In Spanish: Bettina Kadner para niños