Frances Phipps

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Frances Phipps was a Canadian, and the first woman who reached the North Pole (on April 5, 1971). [1] [2]

Phipps grew up in Ottawa, Ontario as Frances Coolin. She was married to the Canadian bush pilot "Weldy" Welland Phipps, [3] [4] who had been her flight instructor, [5] and the couple had nine children. [6] Along with her husband, she founded Atlas Aviation in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, [3] [7] [8] which was at the time the most northerly charter air service in Canada. [9]

The Phipps couple flew together to the North Pole in a Twin Otter ski plane [10] , to install a radar beacon and to promote northern travel. [11] Because no woman had been to the North Pole before, Frances' trip was included in the Guinness Book of World Records . [12]

In 1972, Fran and Weldy bought a 48-foot sailboat, and for over a decade traveled the world by sea. [13]

Phipps died in July 2013 at New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Niedzviecki, Hal; Wershler-Henry, Darren Sean (2002). The original Canadian city dweller's almanac: facts, rants, anecdotes and unsupported assertions for urban residents. Viking Canada. p. 112.
  2. ↑ Hal Niedzviecki; Darren Sean Wershler-Henry (29 October 2002). The original Canadian city dweller's almanac: facts, rants, anecdotes and unsupported assertions for urban residents. Viking Canada.
  3. 1 2 "Geo-fact". Canadian Geographic. April 2006. Archived from the original on 2014-09-01. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail (10 September 2014). Polar Winds: A Century of Flying the North. Dundurn. pp. 153–. ISBN   978-1-4597-2382-5.
  5. ↑ Flying Magazine. March 1971. pp. 57–. ISSN   0015-4806.
  6. ↑ The Canadian Pocket Encyclopedia. Quick Canadian Facts Limited. 1971.
  7. ↑ "Phipps First Woman at North Pole " Archived 2015-11-24 at the Wayback Machine . The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  8. ↑ Canadian Aviation. 1970.
  9. ↑ "A life of adventure ends" Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine . Northern News Service, 6 November 1996.
  10. ↑ Medd Guinness (October 1992). Guin: Book of Records '93. Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN   978-0-85112-978-5.
  11. 1 2 The beacon was placed to help NWT Commissioner Stu Hodgson and his party to fly with Weldy Phipps to the Pole. This mission was aborted after two attempts."Fran Phipps lived a lifelong adventure after meeting her pilot in 1946". DAVE BROWN, Ottawa Citizen October 13, 2013
  12. ↑ Norris McWhirter (April 1983). Guinness 1983 book of world records . Bantam Books. ISBN   978-0-553-23111-3.
  13. ↑ "Couple share a sea-faring life". Palm Beach Daily News - Jun 5, 1983
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