Virginia Duțescu

She was born in Corabia, Romania, and she finished her secondary school education in Târgu Jiu. She enrolled at the Mircea Cantacuzino School of Aviation where her flight instructor was Constantin Abeles, who in 1940 would later become her husband. Soon after she got her pilot’s license, she was encouraged, even from the very first training, to turn to aerobatics being the first woman in Romania to take part in such a training and also she was the first woman in Romania to become a flight instructor, at a school in Ploiești (1939 – 1941).

She took full advantage of the benefits offered by the A.R.P.A. schools, and started to train for the regular events, and the air shows that were being almost constantly organized, throughout the country. According to the documents of the time, her first participation at such an event happened at a show in Sfântu Gheorghe in September 1937. She was not only highly appreciated, but acclaimed after a remarkable performance. This was the beginning of an activity, which unfortunately, would come to an abrupt end, due to the war and her poor health.

She participated at meetings in Chernivtsi, Braila and Chişinău.

In 1939, she participated in the first enrolment for military manoeuvres as a future healthcare pilot and on 21 June 1941, Romania entered World War II. The Specialized Group was also mobilized, including the Health Squadron.

In 1947, her husband managed to flee the country with a plane. For this reason, and also because he tried to contact the anti-comunist army in the mountains, she is arrested and sent to prison for 3 years at Jilava, Văcărești, Canal. She is freed in 1954, but she was still being monitored by the Security until 1959. She dies in 1980.