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Permanent Mission of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva

© Unknown, private archive
Maria Atanasova
Maria Georgieva Atanasova is the first woman civilian pilot in Bulgaria, as well as the first woman commander of a heavy aircraft in the world. From 1953 to 1974 she flew as a pilot and commander for the Bulgarian national airlines. In 1965, she became the first woman to land a passenger plane at Heathrow Airport London, which took place in extreme weather conditions.