Marina Știrbey

He learned to fly in 1935, at the "Mircea Cantacuzino" school, instructed by Constantin Abeles. In September 1935, he became a Gr. II tourist pilot and began to participate in air rallies organized in Oradea, Băneasa, and Târgu Jiu. In 1936 he won the air rally organized by the newspaper Tempo. Received this year the "Aeronautical Virtue" Order.

He organizes a raid in the Nordic countries, where he wants to document himself on air aid, after which he founds a medical squadron, based on the Finnish model, made up only of women. Joining the initiative are Mariana Drăgescu, Virginia Duțescu, Nadia Russo and Irina Burnaia. This is how the famous White Squadron was born, as it was named by the Italian journalist Curzio Malaparte.

In 1942, in Mogoşoaia, she married Constantin Basarab Brâncoveanu, one of the martyr voivode's descendants. In 1948, he was imprisoned for political reasons by the communists, leaving her a prey to poverty, along with two children. Martha Bibescu finds out about her situation and intervenes through the Red Cross, managing to bring her to France in 1964, together with her family.