A Flying Tigers 747 flies past the Syndey Opera House, on one of Norah's favorite routes.
PURCHASING:
To buy your own copy of Flying Tigress, send check or money order to:
Ascending Journey Press
4742 42nd Avenue SW
Suite 362, Seattle, WA
98116
Cost is $19.95 plus $3.95 shipping and handling.
Please indicate if you wish to have your book signed by the author.
Captain Jean E. Harper Reviews Flying Tigress:
In her own lyrically beautiful and amusingly blunt words, [Norah] brings to life a stranger-than-fiction story of the adventurous path she took to the traditionally male domain of jet airliner cockpits. Wanting only a fair shot at the ultimate career in aviation, the tall, attractive redhead encountered both harsh resistance and touching support as she broke the gender barrier in an environment--and an era--when political correctness was still years away.
As a female aviator with a passionate love for flying, Norah found herself in the undesirable role of a 'lightning rod' for heated opinions. Because of the groundbreaking nature of her employment, she bore an inordinate amount of scrutiny and notoriety...not all of it pleasant.
Her happiest times were in the easy camaraderie that exists between crewmembers whose home is the sky, for whom there is no greater adventure or profession than international travel with one's own hands wrapped eagerly around the controls of a wide body jet. O'Neill's persistence and ability to do the job eventually won over her skeptics, clearing the way for like-minded women who followed.
She pulls no punches on either her tormentors or herself, relating with humor and candor the uplifting, bizarre and even devastating experiences that were all a part of her colorful and unconventional life. Norah O'Neill is as skilled a writer as she is a pilot, bringing the reader along on a breathtaking ride through hellish lows, exhilarating highs and astonishing adventures.
"Flying Tigress" is grandly entertaining; it captures the interest of male and female aviation enthusiasts alike. It also opens a window of understanding that shows men and women as both vulnerable and strong, deeply loving and humanly imperfect--with the inevitable conclusion that we're not really so different after all.
--Captain Jean E. Harper
Readers' Praise for Flying Tigress:
Thanks to you, I spent yesterday in my pajamas. Didn’t clean the house, buy groceries or do 20 other things I had scheduled. It was the best Saturday I’ve had in ages. Your book is wonderful. I could not put it down. You brought back all of the fun and bullshit inherent in flying and working with a bunch of macho dinosaurs. But most important, you documented the pain and exhilaration in being first. Christ, you went through a lot. My niece, who recently expressed an interest in flying, needs to run over and give you a big hug. Without you, she could only dream. I am eagerly awaiting your novel.
99’s Bulletin Board Book Review:
I read Flying Tigress by Norah O'Neill and it is truly the most candid, well-written, interesting memoir I have ever enjoyed. It is a fascinating peek into the life of the first woman pilot hired by the Flying Tiger Line, complete with stories of the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you ever wondered what it was like back in the beginning to break into the male-dominated airline cockpit, here's your book.
When Norah was hired by Flying Tigers in 1976, the airline pilot cockpit environment was completely different from what you see today. If you experience old-fashioned attitudes now, you will be amazed at what women had to deal with back then, being the first in their field to break down the gender barrier. Norah brings you back to those times and reveals the hostility and intense scrutiny that she faced, as well as the effect these attitudes had on her life and that of her family and friends. She also takes you into her existence at a raw, personal level as she shares the painful issues that arose in her family life and career. She balances these events with some of her favorite feel-good stories of the men and women she encountered along the way who were her support group: the champions of her dreams to become a successful airline pilot and mother. You will travel the world in a 747, experiencing the sky through her eyes and though her heart.
When I read the book, I couldn't put it down. There were so many vignettes that took me back through my career and parallels that many of us have experienced throughout our lives as pilots. You will gain a greater appreciation of how fortunate we are to have had women like Norah who opened the cockpit door so that we could follow our dreams of flight. Thank you, Norah, for your gift to us.
Ladies, if you read any book this year, get Flying Tigress. It will inspire you, fortify you, and give you a greater sense of clarity in the quest for balance of life with career and family. You look from the outside into the story of a woman of courage, persistence, determination and true grit. Many pilots gave up in the beginning, as the turbulence was just too much to bear. Norah had what it took to make it onto the flight deck, and to inspire others to do the same.
Flying Tigress is an excellent addition to your pilot library. Read and enjoy and share it with others!
Aileen Watkins
FO, B747-400, Atlas Air
Houston Chapter
I agree with Aileen's opinion on this book 100%.
I couldn't put this book down. It's a good story, and well told. A few of the other first women airline pilots have written books about their experiences and about how hard it was to break through the gender barrier, but none was as candidly and brutally and heart-breakingly honest as Norah O'Neill.
I *highly* recommend this book!
Jenny T. Beatty
99s International Careers Committee Chairman
Just finished your book. I had a hard time putting it down the past few days.
It made me laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously.
I hope you have started another one.
Dear Norah,
One of the first times we met, we were at the Seattle Tiger Terminal and I had just come in on UAL with my wife and two young daughters. You had seen the plastic flight attendant wings pinned on my daughters and commented that they should be pilot wings. It dawned on me that you were right, they should have been pilot wings. Having only daughters and no sons, I have become very much a women's libber. In discussing the event with my wife last week, she said that our daughters should have a choice and not have to live up to one expectation or the other (being a pilot or a flight attendant), which is true, but I told her first your have to have a pioneer, to establish the choice before there is a choice. You, my dear, are that pioneer. You did it. A one in a million. You may have gotten your share of knocks, but no one can deny that what you did was unique. You helped a whole segment of the population to have a better opportunity. I know, all you wanted to do was fly, but your destiny was bigger than just flying. You helped change the world. People generally do not understand other peoples life experiences, unless, someone takes the time to explain what they have gone through. You set the record straight. You clarified, for those who wanted to know, what was going on and what was behind the scenes. You also told it the way it really was, rather than sugar coating it. I think it is important that the truth be told. I am very proud to have known you. Captain Jim More
I finished your book the day after we got back from the reunion. It is terrific ...you are one hell of a writer..a wonderful way with words.
Norah, What courage it must have taken to write Flying Tigress. Needless to say, I laughed and I cried while reading it. Thanks again for sharing your unique adventures. How can I ever work with you and Jim and George without picturing the kissing contest at the F Street Bar in Anchorage? You make me smile with my heart.