Estelle Webster

Estelle Webster
Estelle Webster
	Estelle Webster in 1938
Representative to the; National People's Congress
	In office; 21 November 1942 – 9 August 1978
Personal details
Born	17 June 1908; Pensacola, Florida; (Present-day UC)
Died	8 October 1988; Chicago, Illinois; United Commonwealth
Resting place	National People's Cemetery, Chicago
Nationality	Continental
Political party	Continentalist Party
Religion	Irreligious
Military service
Allegiance	United Commonwealth
Branch/service	Continental Air Force
Years of service	1931–1946
Rank	Colonel
Unit	49th Aero Squadron
Battles/wars	Great War I

Estelle Webster (17 June 1908 – 8 October 1988) was a Continental pilot and politician, who became the first female pilot to be awarded the title Hero of the United Commonwealth. During Great War I, she achieved the rank of Colonel and served as the squadron commander of the 49th Aero Squadron, nicknamed the "Night Witches". Webster is considered one of the pioneers of women's aviation, and throughout her life she set numerous records and firsts, such as being the first woman in the world to break the sound barrier in 1950. She was also a consultant and advocate in the United Commonwealth's space program, training Sarah Nash, the first woman in space. From 1942 to 1976 she served as a representative to the National People's Congress for the state of Illinois. She died in 1988 at the age of 80 years old, and was buried in the National People's Cemetery in Chicago.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Estelle Webster was born on 17 June 1908 in Pensacola, Florida, the fourth child of Sandra Webster (née Johnson) and Stephen D. Webster. Stephen Webster was a famous engineer who was instrumental in the development of early aircraft, and in 1909 he was hired to lead development at the Wright Company's newly constructed factory in Dayton, Ohio, moving the family to the United Commonwealth about a year after the birth of Estelle. Following the outbreak of the Continental Revolutionary War, her father joined the war effort on the side of the Continentalists, restoring aircraft and leading air reconnaissance missions. After the war the Websters were founding members of the Aircraft and Pilots Union, a union of amateur aircraft enthusiasts in the early United Commonwealth. As a child, Estelle took after her father and became interested in flight. At the age of 15 she flew her first glider solo, and as a young woman often accompanied her father on test flights. She attended the Dayton Technical Institute as a teenager, and after graduating attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music to study piano, graduating in 1929. She also continued an interest in aviation as a hobby, becoming an accredited pilot from the Ohio Flying Club and the Volunteer Society for Military Cooperation, a Continental paramilitary organization. From her studies she was also fluent in several languages, including French, German, and Latin.

Soon after graduating, she accepted a job as a flight instructor and began training pilots, many of whom later becoming Heroes of the United Commonwealth as well. During this time she flew as part of a "Propaganda Squadron" for the United Commonwealth, which took her across the country. She would also set two world records during this time, including the record for highest altitude reached by a female pilot, at 3,267 meters. For these efforts she would be awarded the the title Hero of the Socialist Labor in 1931.

Great War I[edit | edit source]

Webster (left center) with four other pilots of the 49th Aero Squadron, 1935.

Upon the outbreak of Great War I in late 1931, Webster enlisted in the Continental Air Force. Initially she served as a member of the Air Corps Ferrying Command, a detachment with a large number of women pilots, which was tasked with testing aircraft, ferrying equipment, and training other pilots. She served under famed Continental aviator Amelia Earhart, training three women's aviation regiments at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. However, after Superian forays into the upper United Commonwealth, Webster requested to see combat. In 1932 she was deployed to the 49th Aero Squadron with the rank of sergeant.

Over the course of the next several years, Webster flew combat missions into Superior and Manitoba. Her unit initially had the task of bombing troop movements along the front, and she also took part in missions to fly in and supply partisans of the Superian Continental Republic. She was appointed commanding officer in 1933, leading a detachment of 300 pilots, navigators, engineers, and ground support personnel. As commander, she famously led bombing missions almost every night, overcoming strong flak defenses and night fighters over central Superior. This tenacity earned her unit the nickname "Night Witches" by Superian forces. The unit would fly some 2,000 sorties in partisan-held territory, delivering 1,500 tons of arms and ammunition, hundreds of tons of radio equipment, film cameras, printing presses, and reading material, and transporting ground forces. Following the defeat of the Superian Continentalist forces, Webster evacuated 12,500 wounded partisans, homeless orphans, and Continentalist civilians to the United Commonwealth. In 1936 she would be awarded the title Hero of the United Commonwealth for her bravery.

In 1938 Webster was appointed a member of the state commission investigating war crimes perpetrated by Superior. Following the conclusion of the war, she continued to serve in the Air Force until 1946, overseeing transport regiments and the building of new airstrips in allied Canadian territory. She became a part of the United Commonwealth's early space program as an aviation advisor, training the Sarah Nash, the first woman in space. In 1945 she would be promoted to the rank of colonel, before retiring the following year from the military.

Post-war career[edit | edit source]

Webster standing on the wing of her F-86 talking to Chuck Yeager and chief test pilot Bill O'Brien, 1953.

After her service in the Air Force, Webster became a minor celebrity in the United Commonwealth, and was depicted in Continental propaganda. She continued flying for the rest of her life, coming the first woman pilot to go supersonic in a jet aircraft. Encouraged by her friend and fellow aviator Chuck Yeager, Webster would attempt a number of world records once more. In 1940 she became the first woman to pilot a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean, and the first woman to fly above 6,000 meters. In 1950 she set a speed record of 1080 km/h, becoming the first woman to break the sound barrier, and in 1961 she set a record for reaching a peak altitude of 17,095 meters.

Webster also became interested in politics, being elected to the National People's Congress as a representative for Illinois in 1942, where she would serve for the next 34 years. As a representative she advocated for women in the military, supported Continental efforts in the Space Race, and helped establish the National Air and Space Museum in 1945. Webster served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Chicago from 1966 until her death.

Death and legacy[edit | edit source]

Webster died on 8 October 1988, at her home in Chicago, Illinois. She was buried with military honors in the National People's Cemetery at a ceremony attended by President of the United Commonwealth Simon Valure, General Secretary Yves Lambert of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and numerous members of the Continental space program.

Webster's favorite airstrip in Illinois, formerly known as Moline Regional Airport, was renamed the Estelle Webster Airport in 1990. Webster Square in Pensacola, Florida was dedicated in 1993, on Webster's 85th birthday, which sports a statue of Webster in pilot attire. Other honors include the Estelle Webster School of Aviation, opened in 2010, and Estelle Webster Street in Chicago.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Webster never married and had no children, but had a number of intimate relationships throughout her life with other women, which often led to controversy or ridicule. She was noted as highly private by friends and onlookers, never going into detail about her relationships to the press. According to Continental movie star Louise Brooks, the two had an affair in 1940. In 1953 Webster was introduced to Ukrainian-born fashion designer Valentina, and the two immediately became close. They moved in together to an apartment in Chicago in 1954, where they would live together until Webster's death in 1988, with Valentina dying the following year. It is believed that rumors of Webster's homosexuality may have contributed to negative assignments within the Air Force during the late 1940s, and her eventual removal from Continental propaganda. It would not be until the late 1960s that her relationships would be acknowledged. Webster was also close friends with other members of the aviation industry, such as Chuck Yeager and Amelia Earhart,.

Awards[edit | edit source]

Military[edit | edit source]

Hero of the United Commonwealth (1936)
Hero of Socialist Labor (1931)
Continental Air Force Command Pilot Wings (1932)
Order of Victory (1938)
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1930)
Order of the Crimson Star (1933)
Order of Sherman (1935)
Order of Distinguished Courage (1932)
Medal of Distinguished Service (1937)
Medal of Gallant Flying (1933)
Aviator's Medal (1935)
Superian Campaign Medal (1938)
Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms" (1940)
Medal "For Impeccable Service" (1941)
Jubilee Medal "40 Years of Victory in the Great War" (1978)
Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Aeneas Warren" (1971)

Foreign[edit | edit source]

China: Medal of Sino-Continental Friendship (1953)
Quebec: Order of the St. Lawrence (1940)
Tournesol: Star of People's Friendship (1939)

Other[edit | edit source]