Helen Keller Flew A Plane !

12/30/20231 min read

In 1946, Helen Keller shared with a "Bulletin" reporter one of the most thrilling moments of her life. She recounted the experience of piloting a four-engined plane for 20 minutes over the Mediterranean as part of her journey to Scotland.

This episode adds another fascinating chapter to the incredible life story of Helen Keller, renowned worldwide as a writer, traveler, and scholar despite being blind, deaf, and mute. The narrative unfolded through the unique form of communication known as hand "talk" between Keller and her dedicated companion of 32 years, Miss Polly Thomson.

During their flight from Rome to Paris in a Douglas Skymaster as part of a European tour supporting the cause of the blind, Helen Keller took control of the pilot's seat for 20 minutes. Miss Thomson acted as the intermediary, relaying the pilot's instructions to Helen. The plane's crew marveled at her delicate touch on the controls, noting the absence of shaking or vibration as she calmly and steadily guided the aircraft.

Reflecting on the experience, Helen expressed, "It was wonderful to feel the delicate movement of the aircraft through the controls." The tour has led her and Miss Thomson to London, Paris, Rome, Naples, and Athens. In Glasgow, they plan to spend almost a fortnight, taking time to rest and visit friends before returning to America via a Transatlantic plane, just in time for Christmas.

photo: from the film Deliverance (1919) showing Helen Keller as a pilot