Leah Hing

Who is Leah Hing?

Leah Hing, the first Chinese American woman to earn her pilot's license, was born in Portland, Oregon. Hing grew up near Salem and worked for her father's restaurant, the Tea Garden. Trained by Tex Rankin, an early aviation pioneer at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington, she received her pilot's license in 1934. Later she became an instrument mechanic during World War II at a Portland air base. Hing's aircraft, a 1932 Fleet biplane, is currently on display at Pearson Air Museum.