Hanna Reitsch
A fearless test pilot who broke barriers for female aviators but became tragically entangled with the Nazi regime.
1912–1979 (age 67)·German aviator and test pilot·Birthday: March 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Hanna Reitsch lived to fly, and her technical skill and courage in the cockpit were beyond question. In the 1930s, she set numerous altitude and endurance records in gliders and became the first woman to fly a helicopter, a Focke-Wulf Fw 61. Her daring made her a star in Germany, and she eagerly lent her talents to the Luftwaffe, testing dangerous aircraft like the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 and even proposing a suicide squadron. Her fanatical loyalty led her to the Führerbunker in the war's final days, where she received a cyanide capsule from Hitler. Captured by the Allies, she maintained a defiant pride in her flying, not her politics. Reitsch's post-war career saw her set more glider records, but her legacy remains a complex and darkly fascinating blend of groundbreaking aeronautical achievement and political blindness.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Hanna was born in 1912, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hanna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1912
Hanna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1912Born
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1917Started school
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Became a teenager
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Could drive
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1930Could vote
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Turned 21
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Turned 30
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 40
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 50
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 60
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1979Died at 67
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman in the world to fly a helicopter, the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, in 1937.
- Set over 40 aviation records for altitude and endurance in gliders and motorized aircraft throughout her life.
- Was the first female test pilot for the Luftwaffe, flying advanced and dangerous aircraft like the rocket-powered Me 163 Komet.
- Awarded the Iron Cross, First Class, during World War II, one of only two women to receive it.
Did You Know?
She was the last person to fly out of Berlin in April 1945, escaping the besieged city in a small aircraft.
After the war, she set a women's glider distance record of 375 miles in 1955.
She interviewed Wernher von Braun for U.S. intelligence after his surrender.
She died in Frankfurt in 1979, just a few months after setting a new women's glider distance record.
“I am not ashamed to say I believed in National Socialism. I still wear the Iron Cross with diamonds Hitler gave me.”
