Ila Loetscher

Ila Fox Loetscher ( born October 30, 1904 in Callender, Iowa; † 4 January 2000) was an American aviation pioneer and conservationist. She was a founding member of the pilots union Ninety Nines, even more so, she was known for her commitment to the protection of sea turtles.

The time when aviation pioneer

Early on, she became interested in flying and was 25 the first woman to receive a pilot's license in Iowa. Through an invitation from Amelia Earhart, with whom she was friendly, she was one of the founding members of the Ninety Nines.

Working with sea turtles

After the death of her husband she moved to South Padre Iceland, Texas. In 1977 she founded the Sea Turtle Inc., to take care of the protection and conservation of sea turtles.