Susana Ferrari Billinghurst (20 March 1914 – 13 August 1999) was an Argentine aviator who was the first woman in South America to earn a commercial pilot's license, in 1937.
Career In 1937, Billinghurst became the first woman in South America to earn a commercial pilot's license. In 1940, she piloted an amphibious Sikorsky S-43 in a 4,000-mile trip from Panama to Argentina.
During the 1943 Revolution Day in Argentina, she entered the presidential house with a symbolic bouquet, getting from the new president a historical engagement in favour of women's rights, particularly in the aviation field.
In November 1943, she made a flight to Uruguay with two other aviators (Elida Carlés and Julia Perez Cattoni), officially representing the Argentine government.
Family Billinghurst was of Italian, English and Irish descent. She was the great-granddaughter of Mariano Billinghurst, after whom the city of Billinghurst, Argentina, is named; niece of Argentine aviator Lisandro Billinghurst, and first cousin twice removed of Guillermo Billinghurst, who was the president of Peru. Susana was the grandmother of actress Luciana Pedraza, the widow of actor Robert Duvall.
Bibliography Vitry, Roberto. Mujeres Salteñas: Susana Ferrari Billinghurst. Editorial Hanne, 2000.
References
External links Artículo Star Pulse 19/6/2006- "Hollywood legend Robert Duvall discovers he married into a family of great Argentinean aviators". Artículo Clarin 5/7/2007- "Pioneras de la aviación argentina".