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 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 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. "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. 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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