Betty Greene

{{distinguish|Bettye Washington Greene}}

Elizabeth Everts Greene (24 June 1920 – 10 April 1997), known as Betty Greene, was an American missionary pilot.

Greene was born in Seattle on 24 June 1920, and started taking flying lessons in 1936.{{cite web |title=Betty Greene |url=https://maf.org/about/history/betty-greene/ |publisher=Mission Aviation Fellowship |access-date=25 February 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Wickham |first1=Laura |title=The True Story of Betty Greene, the First Missionary Aviation Pilot |url=https://www.thegoodbook.com/blog/excerpts/2021/09/14/the-true-story-of-betty-greene-the-first-missionar/ |publisher=The Good Book Company |access-date=25 February 2024}} She studied at the University of Washington and served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots in World War II.

Greene was a devout Presbyterian, and helped found Mission Aviation Fellowship.{{cite news |title=Betty Greene, former Medina resident, honored for wartime service |url=https://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/betty-greene-former-medina-resident-honored-for-wartime-service/ |access-date=26 February 2024 |work=Bellevue Reporter}} She made its first flight in 1946 when she transported two missionaries of Wycliffe Bible Translators in a Waco UPF-7 biplane to a remote jungle location in Mexico.{{cite web |title=MAF's Very First Flight |url=https://maf.org.au/latest-news/its-been-75-years-since-pilot-betty-greene-took-off-on-mafs-first-ever-flight/ |publisher=Mission Aviation Fellowship |access-date=26 February 2024}}{{cite book|last=Tucker|first=Ruth A.|title=From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ECySj1iZuNQC&pg=PA386|edition=2nd|year=2011|publisher=Zondervan|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|isbn=978-0-310-83062-7|page=387}}{{cite web |title="A Gal, A Plane & A Dream" |date=March 2022 |url=https://fromthevault.wheaton.edu/2022/03/01/a-gal-a-plane-a-dream/ |publisher=Wheaton College |access-date=25 February 2024}} Later that year she became the first woman to fly over the Andes mountains.{{cite book |last1=Howat |first1=Irene |title=Ten Girls Who Made History |date=2007 |publisher=Christian Focus Publications |page=128}}

Greene died on 10 April 1997.{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Chris |title=Betty Greene, 76; Pioneer Aviatrix, Missionary And A Lady To Her Core |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970416&slug=2534124 |access-date=26 February 2024 |work=Seattle Times |date=16 April 1997}} She was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wai.org/conferences/past-conferences/wai2017/pioneer-hall-fame-inductees|title=WAI 2017 Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees|website=Women in Aviation International|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103002259/https://www.wai.org/conferences/past-conferences/wai2017/pioneer-hall-fame-inductees|archive-date=3 January 2019|access-date=2019-01-03}}