Her name was Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick.
She was barely over 4 feet tall.
But her courage was enormous.
On June 21, 1913, Tiny became the first woman to jump from an airplane when she leapt from a Martin T plane at 2000 feet. No modern equipment. No backup systems. No safety nets.
Just fabric.
Rope.
And faith.
At a time when most people were afraid to fly, she trusted the sky with her life.
When World War I approached, the U.S. Army saw the potential of her skill. They asked Tiny to demonstrate parachute jumps from military aircraft.
She agreed.
She performed three successful jumps.
Then came the fourth.
During the jump, her static line became tangled in the tail of the plane. Her parachute would not open.
She was falling.
Fast.
Certain death was seconds away.
Tiny did not panic.
She reached for her knife.
And cut herself free.
Plunging toward the ground, she pulled the remaining cord attached to her parachute.
It opened.
She survived.
In that instant, Tiny had just demonstrated the first ripcord system.
A breakthrough.
Her quick thinking proved that backpack parachutes were possible. That pilots could control their own survival. That escape did not have to depend on a fixed line.
Her invention changed aviation forever.
It became standard equipment.
It saved thousands of lives.
Pilots.
Soldiers.
Aviators around the world.
All protected by her courage.
Tiny never sought fame.
She simply loved flying.
And she loved proving that limits were meant to be broken.
At a time when women were told to stay grounded, she chose the sky.
Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick did not just jump from airplanes.
She launched a revolution.
She gave humanity a second chance in free fall.
God bless this incredible pioneer.
And every trailblazer who dared to fall… so others could fly.
Story based on historical records. This post is for educational purposes.
