she soars: trailblazing female pilots in florida

Florida has a long and unique history of being a testing ground for female pilots who broke new ground in aviation. From the early 1900s when women performed daring stunts in the air to the World War II era when they served as WASP pilots to the modern times when they flew military jets, commercial planes, and Space Shuttles, Florida hasbeen a key place for female aviator history. These stories from Florida will highlight 14 of women who made history with their flying skills;and left their mark in the Sunshine State.The remarkable journeys of these trailblazing female aviators are told in a captivating and informative manner.

Bridges DelPonte is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction works. Bridges has published extensively on women breaking legal barriers in the military and at military academies, including articles in New England Law Review, Hastings Women’s Law Journal, The Roanoke Times, and Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her legal nonfiction articles earned numerous writing awards, including two National Hoeber Memorial Awards. Her legal mystery, Deadly Sacrifices, A Marguerite Montez Mystery, featuring a Portuguese-American prosecutor on her first homicide case, won a Royal Palm Literary Award (silver/2d place) from the Florida Writers Association (FWA). She has also published an underwater fantasy novel, Bridles of Poseidon, a children’s book, The Little Dusties - The Roar of the Silver Dragon (with illustrator, Michelle Bakay), and numerous short stories in anthologies. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, FWA, Sisters in Crime, Inc., and Citrus Crime Writers.