In the early days of flight, it was thought that flying was too dangerous to risk losing women who were wives and mothers. Against the odds, women sought out pilots who would give them flying lessons. Many, like Harriet Quimby, Matilde Moisant, Amelia Earhart, Emily Warner, Sally Ride, and Eileen Collins (the first female space shuttle commander), proved that women have the skills, courage, and determination to fly.