Elisa Patiño Meléndez (1890 – 12 April 1919) was the first women of
Galician descent to become a pilot. She was well known by her nickname Chichana or Chichana Patiño.
Biography
Chichana was the daughter of Albino Patiño Amado, Duke of Patiño, and his wife Rosa Meléndez. In August 1916, in Pontesampaio, she married Enrique Alcaraz Diez, Secretary of Health in the port of
Corcubion, and in June 1917 their daughter Lucia Alcaraz Patiño was born.
Early life
As an educated young woman, Chichana sang and painted, and she learned to play the violin and piano. Garcia
quoted an observer of one of her performances,
"She also offered us the gift of her melodious voice, singing, behind the scenes, vibrant Andalusian flavor songs with a purity of accent and diction."
Flying legend
Chichana's first flying experience came at the age of 23 when she accompanied pilot José Piñeiro González for several demonstrations aboard his
Bleriot aircraft in northwestern Spain.
A quote in the local paper said he was a "remarkable aviator. He never had accidents with
hichanaand he always said: She is the fairy of my triumphs."
She flew as pilot for the first time on 12 October 1913, at Baltar Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in
Sanxenxo
Sanxenxo (; in Spanish ''Sangenjo'') is a municipality in Galicia, Spain in the province of Pontevedra. It is situated in the southern part of the O Salnés region 15 kilometres west of the city of Pontevedra and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean ...
Spain,
an achievement that was noted in the local newspaper, the ''Correo de Galicia:'' "Last Sunday, Piñeiro surprised the residents of Sanxenxo with a superb flight made in very interesting circumstances"
When they descended the crowd greeted them with an ovation.
No record has been found confirming that Chichana received an official pilot's license, but in that era an official license was obtained only after recording fifty hours of flight time.
Final days
Chichana died as a young woman in 1919 from the
Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...
"after a long illness, suffered with real resignation, surrounded by the care and affection of her loving family."
On her death, her daughter inherited the Duchy of Patiño.
Many years later, on July 28, 1964, according to Bará, "'the BOE
nowiki/>Boletín_Oficial_del_Estado_(in_English:_Official_State_Gazette).html" ;"title="Boletín_Oficial_del_Estado.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Boletín Oficial del Estado">nowiki/>Boletín Oficial del Estado (in English: Official State Gazette)">Boletín_Oficial_del_Estado.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Boletín Oficial del Estado">nowiki/>Boletín Oficial del Estado (in English: Official State Gazette)published the following legal notice about Lucia. "The title of Duque de Patiño is restored, with the dignity of Marquis in favor of Doña Lucía Alcaraz Patiño,' daughter of Chichana."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patino, Elisa
1890 births
1919 deaths
Deaths from Spanish flu
People from Galicia (Spain)
Sportspeople from Galicia (Spain)
Women aviation record holders
Spanish women aviators