{"id":18848413,"date":"2026-09-01T12:40:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T10:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=18848413"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:42:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:42:58","slug":"hanna-reitsch-german-test-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/hanna-reitsch-german-test-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"The F\u00fchrer\u2019s Favourite Test Pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color 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She was also a committed servant of a monstrous regime who, to the end of her life, expressed no regret. Hanna Reitsch is impossible to admire cleanly, and impossible to ignore.<\/p>\r\n<p>To understand twentieth-century flight, you have to reckon with her skill. To understand her, you have to hold that skill alongside the cause she chose to serve.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px 24px;margin:24px 0;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;color:#1a1a1a\">Quick Facts<\/p><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px\"><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Name<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Hanna Reitsch (1912-1979)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Known for<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Pioneering German test pilot<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Firsts<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">First woman to fly a helicopter, a rocket plane, and a jet<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Fa 61<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">First person to fly a helicopter indoors (Deutschlandhalle, 1938)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Rocket plane<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Test-flew the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet; badly hurt in a 1942 crash<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Reichenberg<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Flew the piloted V-1 to solve its handling problems<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Decoration<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Only German woman awarded the Iron Cross First Class<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:6px 12px 6px 0;font-weight:600;color:#333;vertical-align:top;white-space:nowrap\">Later life<\/td><td style=\"padding:6px 0;color:#444\">Founded gliding schools in India and Ghana<\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A prodigy in the air<\/h2>\r\n<p>Born in 1912, Reitsch fell for flying as a girl and never fell out of it. She became the first German woman to earn a captain\u2019s licence and, before the war, one of the world\u2019s foremost glider and stunt pilots. Her feel for an aircraft was uncanny.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The longing grew in me, grew with every bird I saw go flying across the azure summer sky, with every cloud that sailed past me on the wind, till it turned to a deep, insistent homesickness, a yearning that went with me everywhere and could never be stilled.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Hanna Reitsch<\/strong> &mdash; from her memoir, The Sky My Kingdom (1955)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>In February 1938 she flew the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61 &mdash; the first fully controllable helicopter &mdash; back and forth inside Berlin\u2019s Deutschlandhalle, an indoor exhibition arena, in front of a stunned crowd. It remains one of the most audacious demonstration flights ever staged.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/hanna-reitsch-fa-61-helicopter-deutschlandhalle-1938.jpg\" alt=\"Hanna Reitsch flying the Fa 61 helicopter inside the Deutschlandhalle, 1938\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">In 1938 Reitsch flew the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61 inside Berlin\u2019s Deutschlandhalle, the first indoor helicopter flight. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j2BbJkt9jyw\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Testing the deadliest machines of the war<\/h2>\r\n<p>When war came, Reitsch flew the Luftwaffe\u2019s most dangerous experimental aircraft. She tested the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, and on one flight a landing-gear failure sent her into a catastrophic crash that fractured her skull. She reportedly insisted on finishing her written flight report before losing consciousness, then spent months recovering.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/messerschmitt-me-163-komet-rocket-fighter.jpg\" alt=\"A Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket fighter in flight\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The rocket-powered Me 163 Komet, one of the deadly experimental types Reitsch test-flew. A 1942 crash nearly killed her. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>She also flew the Reichenberg, a piloted version of the V-1 flying bomb, to diagnose the handling problems that were dooming its unmanned tests &mdash; bringing the notoriously fast, unforgiving craft back to a landing when others had died trying.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Such dreams have always visited Mankind, are born, first, in the open and eager minds of children and find in flying their fulfilment.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Hanna Reitsch<\/strong> &mdash; from her memoir, The Sky My Kingdom<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cgm2XgYpxM4\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The uncomfortable legacy<\/h2>\r\n<p>Reitsch\u2019s devotion to the regime was not incidental. She was among the last to see Hitler alive in the Berlin bunker, flying in and out of the doomed capital in the final days, and she championed a proposed suicide-squadron of piloted flying bombs. After the war she never disowned her Nazi loyalties, which is why any honest account of her must sit with genuine discomfort.<\/p>\r\n<p>She kept flying regardless, setting gliding records into the 1970s and founding schools in India and Ghana. Her talent was real and her records stand. So does the fact that she gave that talent, without apparent regret, to one of history\u2019s worst causes. Both things are true, and neither cancels the other.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TFD0alzSeRM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Hanna Reitsch, The Sky My Kingdom (1955); Britannica; HistoryNet; Imperial War Museums.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/jacqueline-cochran-she-founded-the-wasps-then-broke-the-sound-barrier\/\">Jacqueline Cochran: Founder of the WASPs<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/white-rose-of-stalingrad-lydia-litvyak\/\">Lydia Litvyak: The White Rose of Stalingrad<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Who was Hanna Reitsch?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Hanna Reitsch (1912-1979) was Germany\u2019s best-known aviator and its first female test pilot. She was the first woman to fly a helicopter, a rocket plane and a jet, and she flew many of the Luftwaffe\u2019s most dangerous experimental aircraft during the Second World War.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What aviation firsts did Hanna Reitsch achieve?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">She became the first German woman to earn a captain\u2019s licence, the first woman to pilot a helicopter, a rocket plane and a jet aircraft, and in February 1938 the first person to fly a helicopter indoors, demonstrating the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61 inside Berlin\u2019s Deutschlandhalle.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did Hanna Reitsch fly the V-1 flying bomb?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. She flew the Reichenberg, a piloted version of the V-1, to diagnose the handling problems that were dooming its unmanned tests. The craft was notoriously fast and unforgiving, and she landed it successfully where others had died trying.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What happened when she crashed the Me 163?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Testing the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, a landing-gear failure caused a catastrophic crash that fractured her skull. She reportedly insisted on completing her written flight report before losing consciousness, then spent months recovering from her injuries.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What was Hanna Reitsch\u2019s relationship with the Nazi regime?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">She was a committed servant of it. Reitsch was among the last people to see Hitler alive in the Berlin bunker, flying in and out of the doomed capital, and championed a proposed suicide squadron of piloted flying bombs. She never disowned those loyalties after the war.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What did Hanna Reitsch do after the war?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">She kept flying, setting gliding records into the 1970s. In 1959 she was invited to India to establish a gliding centre, and from 1962 to 1966 she lived in Ghana, where she founded that country\u2019s first national gliding school.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who was Hanna Reitsch?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Hanna Reitsch (1912-1979) was Germany\u2019s best-known aviator and its first female test pilot. 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