Biography

Kathleen C. Winters was a licensed pilot, writer and aviation historian. Her articles have appeared in various magazines, including EAA Sport Aviation and Aviation for Women. Her first book, Anne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2006. It chronicled the notable but little-known aviation accomplishments of the celebrated author and wife of legend Charles Lindbergh. Her second book, Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon, was published in November 2010, also by Palgrave Macmillan.

Kathleen Winters was born in Toronto, Canada in 1949 and emigrated to the US as a young child. In late adolescence she developed interests in both writing aviation and began flying lessons. But the demands and distractions of family life, work, and struggles with her health sidelined her literary aspirations as an adult. However, she always found a way to remain connected to flight — as a flight instructor, hobbyist, and as an advocate for women in aviation. Soaring, her next passion, prompted her to add a glider pilot’s rating. She holds several soaring records and awards. Some of these, seen at right, include the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Challenge Trophy for a 310-mile soaring flight, and the Sancho Panza Award for crewing.

In her 40s, Winters returned to school in order to realize her potential as a writer. In the ensuing decade-and-a-half, she combined her two passions and published several aviation articles and the well-received 2006 biography Anne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air, which received glowing reviews. Following the success of her first biography, she set out to further spotlight the achievements of women in aviation in Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon, though this time taking an enormous risk by attempting to explore the societal and difficult familial conditions that may have prompted Earhart to tackle challenges for which she might not have been qualified. Winters spent years researching Earhart’s family and flight records. Winters had completed the manuscript and editing process when she died after a brief illness in August 2010.  She and was looking forward to exposing general readers to the craft and glamor of aviation and to conversing with other aviation enthusiasts on her findings.

Her family thanks her fans and publisher for ensuring that her skill, perseverance, and passions will live on in her work.