Choctaw "Gyrocopter Queen"

Native woman recognized as a pioneer in the aviation field

By Lucinda Hughes-JuanOn a sunny spring day in April a small crowd of people gathered at the San Manuel Airport outside of Tucson. They traveled from as far as Colorado and California to attend the two-day Gyrocopter “Fly-in” event.

In attendance was a woman known as the “Gyrocopter Queen,” 81-year-old Marion Springer, a Choctaw pioneer in the rotorcraft–or rotary wing aircraft–industry. The first female certified flight instructor, she has been flying gyrocopters since the late 1960s.Comment:  I'll bet this is the first and last Native gyrocopter expert in this blog. <g>

For more on Native aviators, see Native Pilots in Alaska and Pearl the Chickasaw Aviatrix.