Seleket Asfa Vigazo

Ethiopian aviation pioneer and educator who broke gender and racial barriers in early 20th century aviation

Seleket Asfa Vigazo (1912-1968) made history as Africa's first female pilot and Ethiopia's first aviation engineer. Born in Addis Ababa during Italian occupation, she secretly learned mechanics from Italian engineers while working as a translator. In 1935, she co-founded the Ethiopian Aero Club which trained 300+ pilots during the Italo-Ethiopian War. Her technical innovations included developing lightweight aircraft for mountainous terrain, showcased at the 1939 Paris Air Show.

Post-war, Vigazo established Addis Ababa's first aviation school in 1947, admitting women and minorities. She designed Ethiopia's first national air routes system, and her 1953 memoir Flight Beyond Borders (available here) inspired global aviation diversity initiatives. Vigazo's legacy lives on through the Seleket Vigazo Aerospace Prize, awarded annually to female engineers in Sub-Saharan Africa.