Main content

The first Arab woman pilot

Egyptian Lotfia Elnadi made history when she gained her pilot licence in 1933. Trained by an English instructor, she was the first female pilot in the Arab world.

Despite opposition from her father, Lotfia Elnadi was determined to realise her dream to fly. With her mother's consent, she secretly took flying lessons from an English instructor at a small airfield in the desert outside Cairo. And in September 1933 she made history by becoming the first female pilot in the Arab world. Mike Lanchin has been hearing from the Egyptian film-maker and writer Wageh George who interviewed Lotfia at the end of her long life for a film about her amazing achievement entitled 'Take Off From The Sand'.

Photo credit: Alamy

Archive of Lotfia Elnadi from 'Take Off From The Sand'

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Wed 26 May 2021 02:50GMT
大象传媒 World Service

More episodes

Previous

The strike that shocked India

Next

Amilcar Cabral: An African liberation legend

See all episodes from Witness History

Broadcasts

  • Tue 25 May 2021 07:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service
  • Tue 25 May 2021 11:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service
  • Tue 25 May 2021 17:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 26 May 2021 02:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service

Podcast