Sicele O'Brien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sicele O'Brien
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| Born | 1 April 1887 London, England
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| Died | 18 June 1931(age 44) |
| Known for | Pioneering Irish pilot |
Sicele O'Brien (born April 1, 1887 – died June 18, 1931) was an amazing Irish pilot who helped change aviation history. She was one of the first women to fly planes for a living. Sicele was one of only three women who raced planes and set flying records in Europe and Africa during the 1920s. She was also the second woman in Britain or Ireland to get a special license to fly planes for business. Plus, she was the very first woman in Britain or Ireland to start an air taxi service, which means she flew people where they needed to go!
Early Life and Family
Sicele Julia Mary Annette O'Brien was born in London, England. Her father was Sir Timothy Carew O'Brien, who was a famous cricket captain for England. Her mother was Gundrede Annette Teresa de Trafford. Sicele had two brothers and seven sisters.
She grew up in different places, including Dublin, London, and Cork in Ireland. Before she became a pilot, Sicele was known for being good at hunting and playing tennis.
Helping During World War One
During World War I, Sicele O'Brien helped out as a driver. She worked for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry from May 1917 to April 1919. She received two medals for her service: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Her older brother, Timothy, also served in the war and sadly died in 1916.
Her Amazing Flying Career
Sicele loved flying and became a member of the London Light Airplane Club. In 1927, she earned her commercial pilot's license. This made her only the second woman in Ireland and the UK to achieve this!
She was a talented racer and won the very first women's air race, called the Aerial Oaks, in 1926. In 1928, Sicele and another pilot, Lady Heath, set a new British altitude record, flying higher than anyone else before them. Sicele was so passionate about flying that she even wrote an article in June 1928. It was called "Flying as a Career for Women" and was published in a magazine for women engineers.
Sadly, Sicele had a serious accident on October 20, 1928. Her plane crashed near Mill Hill, and her leg was badly hurt. Doctors had to remove her leg. Even after this, Sicele did not give up on flying! She continued to fly using an artificial leg. She also wrote more articles about aviation and helped organize air events, like a rally in Gleneagles in 1929.
Sicele worked for the Air League of the British Empire and helped start the Aviation Ambulance Association of England. This group worked to use planes to help people who were sick or injured.
Final Flight
In 1931, Sicele O'Brien was killed when her plane crashed while taking off in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The plane's co-owner, explorer Enid Gordon-Gallien, was also in the plane and died in the crash.
