Frances Phipps

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 eight 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 the North Pole, 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. 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 ". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  8. Canadian Aviation. 1970.
  9. "A life of adventure ends". 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 "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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