Early Life and Family Background
Susana Ferrari Billinghurst was born on March 20, 1914, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Emerging from a family with deep roots in military and aviation heritage, her upbringing was framed by a blend of Italian, English, and Irish lineage.
Her father, Alfredo Ferrari de Micheli, was an Italian military figure who served as a Major in artillery. Her mother, Rosa Billinghurst y Kidd-Lynch, brought Anglo-Irish heritage into the family mix. The Billinghurst name itself was already known in South American society: Susana was related to Lisandro Billinghurst, an accomplished Argentine aviator, and to Guillermo Billinghurst, who served as president of Peru. Her great-grandfather, Mariano Billinghurst, was so influential that the city of Billinghurst in Argentina would later bear his name.
Discovering the Skies: Early Passion for Aviation
The early twentieth century witnessed aviation emerge from fragile beginnings into a powerful symbol of modernity. Men like the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart captured global imagination. In Argentina, aviation was growing rapidly, but opportunities for women were virtually nonexistent.
Susana Ferrari Billinghurst’s fascination with flight did not arise in isolation; it was part of a larger cultural shift where airplanes became emblems of progress, speed, and freedom. Yet, at a time when women’s roles were heavily circumscribed by social expectations, forging a path in aviation was radical. Her early life – shaped by exposure to military discipline, technical interests, and a family that recognized the value of breaking boundaries – set the stage for her future triumphs.
By her early twenties, Susana had already committed herself to mastering the demands of flight. The road ahead was anything but simple.
Breaking Barriers: First Commercial License in South America
In 1937, at just 23 years old, Susana Ferrari Billinghurst achieved a monumental milestone: she became the first woman in South America to earn a commercial pilot’s license.
This achievement was not merely a personal triumph but a historic turning point. Aviation at the time was dominated by men. The commercial pilot’s license was more than a certification – it was an official recognition of skill, competence, and the legal right to command commercial aircraft. For Susana, earning that license meant she had mastered complex navigation, rigorous flight hours, and the physical and intellectual demands of piloting. It also meant she had shattered a glass ceiling few even recognized existed.
Her accomplishment did not occur in isolation. Throughout the 1930s, international aviation was evolving rapidly. Figures like Amelia Earhart in the United States captured global attention for female aviators, but South America lacked similarly prominent voices until Susana soared into view. Her success offered a new model of possibility for women throughout the continent.
A Life in the Air: Flights, Feats, and Record-Breaking Journeys
Once licensed, Susana did not rest on her laurels. Instead, she embraced the demands and adventures of flight with boundless energy.
One of her most notable early journeys took place in 1940, when she piloted an amphibious Sikorsky aircraft on a remarkable 4,000-mile flight from Panama to Argentina. This was not a simple flight across neighboring borders; it was a dangerous, demanding journey over varied terrain, alternating weather conditions, and challenges that would have tested even the most seasoned pilots. Her success cemented her reputation as an aviator of extraordinary skill and bravery.
The ethos of her flights was not just technical mastery. Each journey embodied a growing cultural shift: that skill and courage had no gender. Every mile she logged was a testament to human determination and a challenge to prejudiced assumptions about who could—or should—fly.
Advocacy and Symbolism: Flying for Equality
Susana’s life was not merely about accumulating flight hours or trophies; it was also deeply rooted in social intersectionality. In 1943, amid political transformation in Argentina, she took a symbolic stand for women’s rights.
On Revolution Day, Susana entered the presidential palace with a symbolic bouquet—an act that might have seemed ceremonial but carried deep political weight. In the midst of a heated debate over women’s roles in public and professional life, her gesture helped secure a commitment from political leaders to advance women’s participation in aviation and professional sectors. Her voice amplified broader demands for gender equality and professional recognition.
That same year, Susana participated in an official flight to Uruguay with fellow aviators Elida Carles and Julia Perez Cattoni, representing the Argentine government. Such events underscored her dual role: both as a skilled aviator and as a cultural ambassador, demonstrating that women could excel equally on the world stage.
Life Beyond the Cockpit: Personal Bonds and Shared Skies
Amid her professional successes, Susana’s personal life was equally shaped by aviation. She married Andrés Pedraza, himself a well-regarded pilot within Argentina. The two shared not only a life partnership but also a deep passion for flying. Their relationship symbolized a rare fusion where love and professional vocation were mutually reinforcing.
Together, they navigated the joys and challenges of aviation life, symbolizing a partnership that elevated shared dreams above traditional gender role constraints. Their family life produced a granddaughter, Luciana Pedraza, who would later achieve her own acclaim as an actress and filmmaker, continuing the family’s legacy of artistic and cultural impact.
A Retired Pilot Answering the Call: The 1986 Emergency Landing
One of the most remarkable chapters in Susana’s life came long after her formal flying career had ended. In 1986, more than two decades after she had retired from commercial piloting, Susana found herself aboard a flight with Aerolíneas Argentinas. During a journey from Mendoza to Buenos Aires, the two pilots in command became incapacitated due to sudden illness. The aircraft faced a crisis, with passengers’ lives at risk.
In an extraordinary act that blended bravery, expertise, and calm under pressure, Susana offered to take control of the aircraft. At 72 years old, and having not piloted a commercial aircraft in many years, she deftly managed the situation, guiding the plane to a safe landing. This extraordinary moment – capturing her calm authority in a genuine crisis – was reported with awe and admiration, reminding the world that true mastery never truly fades.
Her response was both practical and poetic: she stepped into the cockpit not for glory but because she could and because lives depended on it.
Legacy and Cultural Memory
Susana Ferrari Billinghurst’s contributions cannot be reduced to a list of firsts – even though those milestones are remarkable. Her influence extended into cultural and societal arenas: she embodied women’s expanding role in fields once dominated by men, helped inspire new generations of aviators, and became a living symbol of equality, perseverance, and courage.
Her death on August 13, 1999, in Salta, Argentina, marked the end of a life lived boldly and fully, yet her legacy continues to resonate. From aviation history textbooks to cultural retrospectives on women pioneers, Susana’s name stands shoulder to shoulder with other trailblazers who pushed the bounds of what was deemed possible.
The Knowledge Base 
Leave a comment