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National Geographic

THE COMPASS

This week, we take to the skies and explore the world of aviation. Meet the women who risked everything to be the first to fly, find out what causes turbulence, and what you can do if it happens to you, and learn about the time when flight attendants said: "Go fly yourself!"

Known as la femme-oiseau (the bird woman) in the French press, Raymonde Laroche became the first woman to receive a pilot's license on March 8, 1910.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS HELLIER/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Meet the women who risked everything to be the first to fly

As one female pilot wrote, "A woman who can find fulfillment in the skies will never again need to live her life in some man's spare moments."

BREATHTAKING BRAVERY AND TRAGEDY

Mountains, storms, and the jet stream all affect airplane turbulence.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAIKA ELAN, BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES

What causes turbulence, and what can you do if it happens to you?

Here’s the science behind this natural and often scary phenomenon—and how to cope with it during a flight.

HAIR-RAISING MOMENTS

GOOD READS

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Hot topic: does carbon offsetting really make a difference?

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Vintage maps rekindle the romance of early air travel

3.

Why electric planes will be the next great challenge

4.

NASA Mars helicopter makes history as first vehicle to fly on another planet

A fear of flying is common — airlines estimate that between a third and a quarter of us suffer from it to some degree, and that up to half have it so strongly they avoid flying altogether.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY IMAGES

How to overcome a fear of flying: five courses that tackle it

Aerophobia can be a major hurdle for travellers, but an expertly led course by the likes of British Airways or Easyjet can help nervous passengers take to the skies with confidence.

AT 5 MILLION G, THIS ANIMAL HAS THE FASTEST STING ON EARTH. WHAT IS IT?

A. WASP
B. JELLYFISH
C. SCORPION

CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

Amelia Earhart poses for a portrait in an airplane circa 1936.

PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, GETTY IMAGES

These 5 explorers disappeared into thin air. Will we ever know the truth?

From Amelia Earhart to Percy Fawcett’s expedition to the Lost City of Z, the fate of these five explorers remains mysterious.

MYSTERIOUS ADVERSITY

In an undated, mid-20th century photo, Trans World Airlines flight attendants picket for a pay raise.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BETTMANN ARCHIVE, GETTY IMAGES

The time when flight attendants said: ‘Go fly yourself!’

Groped, pinched, and talked down to, flight attendants learned to fight for their rights. They still keep passengers safer in the skies.

INDUSTRY EVOLUTION

WHAT WILL WE EXPLORE NEXT?

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