Reitsch’s obsession with flight began early. She famously broke glider endurance records and became the first woman to be awarded the title of flight captain. Her skill was undeniable; she was the first woman to fly a helicopter and served as the first female Luftwaffe test pilot.
: She continued to fly and win competitions after the war, but she remained a pariah to many due to her unrepentant Nazism. Hitler's Heroine : Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch was a woman of radical contradictions: a diminutive, five-foot-tall aviator who became one of the most celebrated test pilots in history, and a fanatical Nazi who remained loyal to Adolf Hitler until the very end. Her life is the subject of the biography by Sophie Jackson , which explores how a gifted pilot became a symbol of the Third Reich's ideological fervor. The Rise of a Prodigy Reitsch’s obsession with flight began early
Her achievements earned her the respect of the highest levels of the Nazi regime. She was awarded the Iron Cross (First and Second Class), becoming the only woman to receive the First Class distinction during World War II. "Hitler’s Heroine" : She continued to fly and win competitions
: Reitsch died in 1979 at age 67. To this day, a mystery remains as to whether she died of natural causes or finally used the cyanide pill Hitler had given her decades earlier.
Her devotion was most evident in the final days of the war. In April 1945, she and Generaloberst Robert von Greim flew a light aircraft into a besieged Berlin to reach the Führerbunker . She was among the last people to see Hitler alive and reportedly begged him to let her die with him. A Controversial Legacy
Hitler's Heroine: The Audacious and Devastating Life of Hanna Reitsch