Jeannette Piccard

Jeanette Piccard in 1934

Jeannette Ridlon Piccard (5 January 1895 – 17 May 1981) was an American aeronaut, who pioneered balloon flight, a teacher, scientist and priest.

Quotes

• Sonny, I'm old enough to have changed your nappies.
  • To John Allin, presiding bishop, Episcopal Church of the United States, who had asked the Philadelphia Eleven not to proceed with their ordination as priests.
  • Quoted in Goldman, Ari L. (30 July 1994). Religion Notes. The New York Times.

• If we do not add something to the knowledge of cosmic rays by our trip to the stratosphere this summer, we had better not go. We had better stay on the ground, be hewers of wood and drawers of water.
  • Quoted in Oakes, Claudia M. (1985). United States Women in Aviation: 1930-1939. Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space.

• When you fly a balloon you don’t file a flight plan; you go where the wind goes. You feel like part of the air. You almost feel like part of eternity, and you just float along.
  • Quoted in Sorenson, Paul (1998-1999). Looking Back.... AEM Update, University of Minnesota Institute of Technology.

• There are many reasons, some of them so deep-seated emotionally as to be very difficult of expression. Possibly the simplest explanation is that we started along this road … and I cannot stop until I have won.
  • Her reason for flying as explained to her father
  • Quoted in Shayler, David J. and Moule, Ian A. (2005). Women in Space — Following Valentina. Springer-Praxis. doi:10.1007/1-84628-078-8_1. ISBN 978-1-84628-078-8.