培道女中的音乐启蒙与飞天壮志

Musical Roots and Soaring Ambitions at Pui To Girls' School

张瑞芬（Katherine Cheung，1904–2003）生于广东恩平，自幼随母亲迁居广州，先后就读真光女校与广州市培道女子中学（现广州市第七中学前身），接受中西合璧的教育，培养出对艺术与科学的双重热情。

Born in Enping, Guangdong, Katherine Cheung (1904–2003) moved to Guangzhou with her mother, studying at Pui To Girls' School (now Guangzhou No. 7 Middle School), where she embraced both Western and Chinese education.

1921年，她以优异成绩毕业并考取赴美留学资格，进入洛杉矶康纳域多利音乐学院学习钢琴，后转入南加州大学深造，展现出卓越的音乐天赋。

In 1921, she earned a scholarship to study piano in the U.S., attending the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and later the University of Southern California.

然而，命运的转折发生于1930年代——她随父亲频繁出入洛杉矶机场，目睹飞机起降的震撼场景，从此埋下翱翔蓝天的梦想。

However, her life pivoted in the 1930s when frequent visits to Los Angeles airports with her father ignited her passion for aviation.

1931年，张瑞芬毅然考入林肯航空学校，成为该校首位女学员，打破性别藩篱。仅接受12小时训练后，她即完成单飞并“完美着陆”，震惊教练。

Defying gender barriers, she enrolled in Lincoln Aviation School in 1931, becoming its first female student. After just 12 hours of training, she soloed with a "perfect landing," astounding her instructors.

1932年，她通过严格考核，成为首位获得美国私人飞行执照的华裔女性，打破当时对女性飞行能力的刻板印象，中西媒体誉其为“女界之光”。

In 1932, she made history as the first Chinese woman to earn a U.S. private pilot's license, shattering stereotypes and earning media acclaim as a "beacon for women".

此后，她更进阶取得商业、特技飞行执照，并加入仅限99名顶尖女飞行员的“九九俱乐部”，与传奇飞行员阿梅莉亚·埃尔哈特并肩，成为全美首位囊括三类飞行执照的华人女性。

She later secured commercial and stunt flying licenses, joining the elite "Ninety-Nines" club alongside Amelia Earhart, and became the first Chinese woman to hold all three certifications.

她的飞行生涯缔造多项纪录：安全飞行逾3000小时、参与跨州竞赛屡获佳绩（如1935年圣地亚哥飞行赛第四名），更以特技飞行的“筋斗”“穿云”等高难动作闻名，被誉为“华人特技飞行第一人”。

Her career featured groundbreaking feats: over 3,000 accident-free flight hours, top finishes in cross-country races (e.g., fourth place in the 1935 San Diego Air Race), and daring aerobatics like loops and cloud-piercing maneuvers, cementing her as a trailblazer.