Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field

Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field. Historic African-American Sites. Bessie Coleman was the first African-American female to become a pilot, and the first African-American to hold an international pilot license. , , She was born in Texas in 1892. After hearing stories of American airmen returning from World War I, she determined to become a pilot. Frustrated and denied in America, she traveled to France, where she was taught by French aviators, and received her international pilot license in 1921. , Returning to the U.S., she began a career of "barnstorming" -exhibition flying. She became an overnight success, and the media dubbed her "Queen Bess" as she flew over packed stands of spectators, both black and white. , , In 1926, near this site, at then - Paxon Air Field, she was flying with her co-pilot in a new plane. Her co-pilot lost control, and Bessie was flung from the plane to her death. The plane crashed and the co-pilot was also killed. The cause of the crash was a loose wrench that slipped into the gearbox after takeoff. , , Bessie Coleman's courage and perseverance inspired an entire generation of black aviators. , (captions) , Paxon Air Field (1920's)