HELEN RICHEY, Central Airlines D-Pilot and First Woman to Fly the Mail
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April, 1935 10 cents a copy - One dollar a year Vol. 2, No. 5. Photo by Parry Studio HELEN RICHEY, Central Airlines In This Issiklj D-pilot and first woman to fly the mail. FLYING PALS GARDEN NAVIGATION AIR MASS METEOROLOGY 2 CONTENTS Garden Navigation— By Mabel Billion ..................................................... 3 Just Among Us Girls— By "Mister” Swanee Talory ........................... 4 Flying Pals .............................................................................................................. 5 Along Feminine Lines ......................................................................................... 6 Come On In ............................................................................................................ 7 Michigan's F. E. R. A. Ground Schools— By Alice C. Hirschman... 7 Aerial Photography ............................................................................................. 8 Lines in the Sky— By Pat O'Malley ............................................................ 9 Magazines— By Mabel Britton ........................................................................ 9 Air Mass Meteorology— By Philip Del Vecchio .................................... It) The New Perspective— By Frieda W. van Emden ............................. II Pot and Pan Mechanics ...................................................................................... 12 Airwise Alaska (continued from last month)— By William Littery 12 Fashions in Flight— By Fay Gillis ................................................................. 13 THE 99er ................................................................................................................. 14 W. N. A. A. Contact ......................................................................................... 15 Bread and Butter and Aviation ........................................................................ 16 Cloud Club— By Betsy Barton ........................................................................ 17 NEXT MONTH'S issue will feature gliding. There will also be more "Veterans of the Air” (flying children of flying parents). Don't fail to send us quickly some of the veterans you know. AIRW OM AN, the magazine of sky talk for women who fly and for those who are still earthbound but interested, is the official organ of the 99 Club of women pilots and of the Women's National Aeronautical Association. AIRW OM AN is distributed on American Airlines, Boston-Maine and Central Vermont Airways, Central Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Pan American Airways, Pennsylvania Airlines, Transcontinental and Western Airlines and United Airlines. AIRWOMAN, Volume 2, Number 5, April, 1935. Published monthly by Airwoman. Inc., at Hotel Gotham, Fifth Avenue and 55th St., New York temptingly gay atmosphere that gives City. Editorial offices. Hotel Gotham. Fifth Ave. and 55th St., New York, N. Y., U. S. A. Clara Studer, Editor; Fay Gillis, Associate Editor; "happy landings" a new significance. Betsy Barton, Junior Editor; M argery Brown, Roving Reporter. Subscrip Here the furnishings . the bar . the tion $ 1 .00 per year, single copies 10 cents. Application for entry as second class matter is pending. Copyright 1935 by Airwoman, Inc., New decorations . are all featured in a Y o rk C ity . smartly modern manner for your pleasure. A complete repertoire of exciting refresh ments, from which to choose your favorite concoction. All deference is paid "to the ladies"—the allegedly "hardy sex" is allowed only in your company . \ 'V l The Gotham offers a welcome haven to the traveler . with its warm SALYMIL hospitality . congenial atmosphere and spacious SHOP comfort. Set your compass for The Gotham and ex perience that delightful Wing Your Way Across "homey" feeling. You'll appreciate the alert serv In a Trim Suit! ice . the sincere concern $29.75 for the comfort of each guest . and most of all the surprisingly moderate — and make it one of those single or rates beginning at $4.00. double breasted affairs in gabardine . tweed . flannel or sharkskin the Max A. Haering, Resident Manager Saiymil shop is featuring. Sizes 10 to 20 FOURTH FLOOR FIFTH AVENUE AT 55lh STREET NEW YORK CITY ILGRIM- OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE 99 CLUB 6 WEST 57 + h STREET 3 GARDEN NAVIGATION By MABEL BRITTON I am not going to talk in the distance, the river, the bay and the little town of W ilcox nearby. I about navigation in the the smoke of Toledo appeared. I was looked for Wilcox on the map without terms of sextant observa just 40 miles off my course on a 125 success until a burly young chap said, tion of the sun and stars, mile journey! "That map’s New Mexico, you’re in nor the complications of Michigan is a grand state for cross Arizona now.” Note: I mistook Lords instrument flying, since 1 country flying because the lakes on three burg for Deming—second bid for the know nothing about sides stop you, but you can, that is 1 can Dunce’s Cap. either, but of the homely, common- leak over into Ohio on the south. It is garden-variety of navigation which most a matter of grievance to me when so UT of five years’ flitting hither and of us use in getting from here to there. much alphabetical money is spent on im yon some common-sense habits O f this I am better qualified to write provement of airports that no one has O have developed. One is, to study the than anyone I know, since I possess a thought of the usefulness of painting course before leaving the ground; draw record which I am sure has never been state lines yellow. a line on the map to the destination, no broken. tice the character of the country, the ele In January, 1931, I flew from Ypsi- N O TH ER little record I hold is of vation, any special landmarks enroute, lanti to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to flying directly on my course—but and memorize the position of the land lunch with friends. After a pleasant 60 miles beyond my destination. This ing fields. Checking some landmark visit I was driven to the airport at about was in the days when I believed if a within five or ten minutes of the take-off 3:30 for the return trip. It was a bright Government strip map showed an airport is very important. Take-offs are often winter day with snow on the ground, marked, an airport was there. I was fly worrying and in the confusion ensuing the wind blowing'rather hard from the ing from El Paso to Tucson with a stop it is easy to start on the wrong path. A northwest. I climbed into my thick suit, at Lordsburg for lunch and gas. I was compass reading, check on a landmark settled into the cockpit, the engine following the railroad (a forced landing and correction for drift every 15 min roared— and I was off. I had glanced in that country away from the regular utes is just good sense. And always be at the wind-sock, in my quick efficient line of travel would be just too bad) on the look-out for the next landmark way, noted its direction and judged the and the first good landmark was Deming, ahead! Memorizing the position of land velocity to be about 20 m.p.h., then on a slight loop of the railroad, with air ing fields may seem unnecessary but it mentally calculated the triangle of the port marked south of town. I cruised sometimes saves worry. three forces (you remember how the along, passing several tiny settlements, Last summer I was flying from Glenn books tell u s?). I set my course at 103 one slightly larger with a highway cross Curtiss Field on Long Island to Mont degrees. ing which might be Deming. There was gomery, New York, 60 miles away. A no airport however. Forty-five minutes storm up the Hudson had held us on HE air was very smooth, the horizon later, on a northern loop of the railroad, the ground until late— it was a squeak sharp and clear, the snow-covered the town for which I was looking ap •if we could make it before dark, but T ground was dazzling in the sunshine.peared with airport as marked, just south. friends were waiting dinner for us so What a beautiful and comfortable way Mentally checking "Deming” I flew we took off. Instead of flying a direct to travel! I snuggled further down and cheerfully on down a slight incline and line across the mist-filled hills, we fol let the Waco fly herself. Occasionally up the next long loop which would lowed up the river, dark clouds ahead. I glanced at the compass. My thoughts bring me to a turn around the mountain I had memorized the position of New wandered to the gay talk at lunch— two and to Lordsburg. It seemed to be tak burgh, Montgomery and the airport. It new books mentioned which I must be ing much longer than I had expected; was lucky, for by the time we reached sure to read and that last play of the wind must be stronger, certainly the Newburgh it was too dark to read a map Katherine Cornell's. air was growing rougher every minute easily and besides a rocker-box broke Sometime later I looked at my watch and not then having learned to let the with a bang! Limping and clattering in with a start— how fast the journey had ship "ride" I was about exhausted fight on six cylinders, it was a relief not to seemed— 1 must be almost home. But ing the stick. An hour of this with the have to hunt for the airport. the country looked most unfamiliar; desert blazing below, the mountains though 1 was there, the lakes around looming ominously higher, then at last ECTIO N maps are now so excellent Chelsea and the spires of Ann Arbor the loop and turn ahead which meant the S that following them is a pleasure. I were not! For five minutes I continued field at Lordsburg, and about time too, still like the old Rand McNally state maps on the course looking searchingly for for the gas was low. I struggled around in flat country, however, as they give some known landmark; there was none. the pass— but no Lordsburg, nothing but every railroad junction and small village Another three minutes and a small town desert, alkali flats, more and wilder accurately.