Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Powder Puff Derby of 1929 The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race by Gene Nora Jessen Women's Air Derby. The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby , the name by which the race is most commonly known. Nineteen pilots took off from Santa Monica, California on August 18, 1929 (another left the next day). Marvel Crosson died in a crash apparently caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, but fifteen made it to Cleveland, Ohio, nine days later. Contents. The race Background Route Airborne Standings Depictions References Bibliography External links. The race. Background. During the first two decades of heavier-than-air flying, the few women fliers in the United States became acquainted with one another during air meets and air rodeos. The bonds among the top women pilots were strengthened in the first real race for female pilots—the Women’s Air Derby during the 1929 National Air Races and Aeronautical Exposition. Air-race promoter Cliff Henderson was the founder of the first Women’s Air Derby, which he patterned after the men’s transcontinental air races. (Ironically, Henderson would ban women from competing in the 1934 Bendix Trophy and National Air Races after a crash which claimed the life of pilot Florence Klingensmith in 1933.) To qualify, pilots had to have at least 100 hours of solo flight, which included a minimum 25 hours of cross-country flying (these were the same rules that applied to men competing in the National Air Races). The twenty competitors, eighteen of whom were from the United States, [1] were: Florence "Pancho" Lowe Barnes Marvel Crosson Amelia Earhart Ruth Elder Claire Mae Fahy Edith Foltz Mary Haizlip Jessie Miller, an Australian Opal Kunz Mary von Mach Ruth Nichols Blanche W. Noyes Gladys O’Donnell Phoebe Omlie Neva Paris Margaret Perry Thea Rasche, a German Louise Thaden Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout Vera Dawn Walker. One of the qualifications was that the aircraft would have to have horsepower "appropriate for a woman." Opal Kunz's 300-horsepower Travel Air was deemed to be "too fast for a woman to fly" (even though she owned and flew it), so she had to find a less powerful aircraft to race. [2] Route. The pilots, fourteen in the heavy plane class (with engines from 510-875 cubic in.) and six in the lighter class (275-510 cubic in.), took off from Santa Monica, California. Stops en route to Cleveland included San Bernardino, California; Yuma, Arizona; Phoenix, Arizona; Douglas, Arizona; El Paso, Texas; Pecos, Texas; Midland, Texas; Abilene, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; and Cincinnati, Ohio. At each stop, the pilots often overnighted for refueling, repairs, media attention and dinner banquets. [3] Airborne. To keep all competing aircraft safely separated as they climbed to altitude, they were lined up in rows at the start of the race and took off at one- minute intervals, the lighter aircraft first. National Aeronautic Association official Joe Nikrent was the official timekeeper. Earhart had an electrical problem and had to return to the airfield, but repairs were made quickly, and she resumed flying. Marvel Crosson crashed in the Gila River Valley and was killed, apparently the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning. [2] There was a public outcry demanding the race be canceled, but the pilots got together and decided the most fitting tribute would be to finish the derby. [2] Blanche Noyes had to put out a fire that erupted in mid-air over Pecos, but continued on. [4] (In the 2010 documentary Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women's National Air Derby , Noyes, a non-smoker, explained that she found a cigarette butt in her baggage compartment. [5] ) Margaret Perry caught typhoid fever. Pancho Barnes crashed into a car that drove onto the runway as she was trying to land, wrecking her airplane. Ruth Nichols also crashed. [6] Claire Fahy's wing wires were eaten through, possibly sabotaged with acid; she withdrew from the race. An estimated 18,000 people gathered in Cleveland, Ohio, to greet the pilots at the end of the race. Louise Thaden finished the race first [7] and won the heavy class in a time of 20 hours, 19 minutes and 4 seconds. [5] Phoebe Omlie won the light class in 25 hours, 12 minutes and 47.5 seconds. [5] Standings. Louise Thaden Gladys O’Donnell Amelia Earhart Blanche Noyes Ruth Elder Neva Paris Mary Haizlip Opal Kunz Mary von Mach Vera Dawn Walker. Four women completed the race in the light class (order unclear, other than Omlie finishing first): [8] Phoebe Omlie Edith Foltz Jessie Keith-Miller Thea Rasche. Bobbi Trout finished the race, but was untimed. Depictions. The race was the subject of the 1935 novel Women in the Wind: A Novel of the Women's National Air Derby by Francis Walton and the 1939 film adaptation, starring Kay Francis. The book The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race , written by Gene Nora Jessen, was published in 2002. [9] The 2010 documentary Breaking through the Clouds: The First Women's National Air Derby covers the race from inception through conclusion, includes interviews with some surviving relatives of pilots, and offers short biographies of some of the women. Related Research Articles. Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden was an American aviation pioneer, holder of numerous aviation records, and the first woman to win the Bendix trophy, alongside Blanche Noyes. She was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society's Hall of Fame in 1980. 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The transcontinental, point-to-point race, sponsored by industrialist Vincent Bendix founder of Bendix Corporation, began in 1931 as part of the National Air Races. Initial prize money for the winners was $15,000. The last Bendix Trophy Race was flown in 1962. Ruth Rowland Nichols was an American aviation pioneer. She is the only woman yet to hold simultaneous world records for speed, altitude, and distance for a female pilot. Tail Spin is a 1939 aviation film. The screenplay was written by Frank Wead and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It was based on the book, "Women with Wings: A novel of the modern day aviatrix", authored by Genevieve Haugen, who was also an advisor and stunt pilot in the film. Tail Spin starred Alice Faye, Constance Bennett, Nancy Kelly, Joan Davis, Charles Farrell and Jane Wyman. The Air Race Classic is an annual transcontinental air race for female pilots. Route lengths are approximately 2,400 statute miles (3,900 km). All flights are conducted in day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. Each aircraft is handicapped for speed and engine power. The goal is to have the actual ground speed be as far over the handicapped speed as possible. Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie was an American aviation pioneer, particularly noted for her accomplishments as an early female aviator. Omlie was the first woman to receive an airplane mechanic's license, the first licensed female transport pilot, and the first woman to be appointed to a federal position in the aviation field. Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout was an early American aviator, notable for her pioneering flying activities. Trout began her aviation career at the age of 16; however, her first solo flight and solo certificate was only given on April 30, 1928. In the spring of 1928, Trout’s mother bought her an International K-6 biplane. Trout received her pilot's identification card from the United States Department of Commerce on September 1, 1928. She was the second woman to break the non-refueling endurance record for women when she flew 12 hours straight from California in 1929. The record was previously held by Viola Gentry and was the first record where Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) rules of the endurance record were revised stating endurance records had to be broken by a full hour. Trout also participated in the Women's Air Derby of 1929, which was dubbed the Powder Puff Derby. In 2001, she was recognized as the only living participant in the first Women's Air Derby of 1929. Evelyn got her nickname “Bobbi” when she copied the hairstyle of 1928 actress Irene Castle which was a short “Bob” haircut. Opal Kunz was an early American aviator, the chief organizer of the Betsy Ross Air Corps, and a charter member of the Ninety-Nines organization of women pilots. In 1930, she became the first woman pilot to race with men in an open competition. She made many public appearances to urge more women to take up flying. Marvel Crosson was a pioneer aviator, and the first female pilot to earn a commercial license in the Territory of Alaska. She worked in both California and Alaska, dying in a crash during the first Women's Air Derby. She was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2011. Women in the Wind is a 1939 film directed by John Farrow and starring Kay Francis, William Gargan and Victor Jory. The plot concerns women pilots competing in the so-called "Powder Puff Derby", an annual transcontinental air race solely for women. Mary Haizlip was an American aviator who was the second woman in the United States to qualify for a commercial pilot's license. Edith Magalis Foltz Stearns Grissom was the first female transport pilot in Oregon, the fifth female transport pilot in the United States, and the first female state governor of the National Aeronautic Association. For her work as a transport pilot in World War II, she received the King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom. By the time she died, she had logged over 5,000 hours of flying time. Gene Nora Stumbough Jessen was an American aviator and a member of Mercury 13. Jessen worked throughout her career as a flight instructor, demonstration pilot, advisor to the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) and president of the Ninety-Nines. Jessen has also written about flying and the history of women in flight. ISBN 13: 9781570717697. Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The True Story of the First Women's Cross-Country Air Race. Jessen, Gene Nora. This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. The unforgettable true story of the 1929 air race that legitimized female pilots. In 1929, nineteen women set out from Santa Monica, California, in flimsy, propeller driven planes, with a mission-to be the first to cover the 2,759 mile course to Cleveland, Ohio. Dubbed "The Powder Puff Derby" by humorist Will Rogers, who covered the race, the competition was aggressive and dangerous. A thrilling narrative, The Powder Puff Derby of 1929 tells the story of the first major female airplane race, whose contestants included Amelia Earhart, the most famous female pilot of her time. Many of the women flew in open cockpits, with no air controllers to help them and often only primitive airports to land on. Yet by facing the hazards with skill and determination, the racers thrilled the nation and pioneered a new future and respect for female aviators. The Powder Puff Derby of 1929 tells the stories of these first female pilots, gutsy and colorful adventurers who flew in air circuses, set altitude and speed records and fought for the right to become part of the male-dominated world of aviation. The book also includes various artifacts of the groundbreaking race, including priceless, never-before-published black and white photos, as well as Air Force maps of the terrain over which the women flew. An inspiring story of confidence and persistence, The Powder Puff Derby of 1929 captures a defining moment in the history of aviation and women's rights. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. In the summer of 1961 while working her way through the University of Oklahoma on the faculty teaching flying, Gene Nora (pronounced Janora) participated in a female astronaut research program at the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque. Though Gene Nora was among the thirteen women (light-heartedly tagged the "Mercury 13") who passed the physical exams, further testing was cancelled. In 1962, she flew as a sales demonstration pilot for the Beech Aircraft factory in Wichita, Kansas. Initially, she flew one of the Three Musketeers, flying formation across forty-eight states in ninety days as a promotional event to introduce the new Beech Musketeer. The job evolved into additional flight ratings and flying the entire Beech line. She met her husband Bob at Beech, and they eventually migrated west to become a Beech dealer in Boise, Idaho, Gene Nora operating their flight school. Gene Nora has remained active in aviation, serving on the Boise Airport Commission; as President of the Ninety-Nines; on various community boards; participating in the founding of two aviation museums; racing the Bonanza, and, not incidentally, raising two children. The Jessens own an active fixed-base operation at the Boise airport, and, of course, they continue to fly. From Publishers Weekly : "Flight is abiding peace. It is a spirit totally free," wrote Derby winner Louise Thaden, setting the tone for this fascinating history of the first women's transcontinental air race from Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland, Ohio. Nicknamed the "Powder Puff Derby" by Will Rogers, a strong supporter of female aviators (despite the belittling nickname) who volunteered to fly along the route carrying extra luggage, the contest covered 2,759 miles. Jessen, an aviator and former president of the Ninety-Nines (an international women pilots' association), describes each day of the nine-day event and provides captivating short bios of the 19 flyers, including colorful "Pancho" Barnes, glamorous Ruth Elder and Amelia Earhart. Although some of the aircraft were considered "heavy" and a smaller number "light," all were flimsy propeller planes and only two had closed cockpits. The contestants dealt with myriad equipment problems, illness, exhaustion and possible sabotage (Clare Fahy's wing wires were eaten through with acid). Fatigued after the day's flight, the pilots had to attend lengthy banquets hosted by excited locals wherever they stopped. On the third day of the race, the experienced pilot Marvel Crosson, overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust fumes of her Travelair craft, crash- landed and died. According to Jessen, the women's "triumph did not convert all the world to esteem pilots of the `weaker' sex," and public figures like Charles Lindbergh, for instance, were all but scornful of their endeavor. Although Jessen includes too much fictionalized dialogue, this otherwise well-wrought bit of Americana will appeal to aviation and women's history buffs. Photos. The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race by Gene Nora Jessen. If the wealth hasn't been spread your way, find what you need on Ebay. "All those who see me, and all who believe in me, share in the freedom I feel when I fly." In 1929, the first women's transcontinental air-race was held, as part of the National Air Race events. Humorist Will Rogers called it the "Powder Puff Derby." (Sources differ on whether he was putting down the race, or praising it, with that term). A transcontinental air race for women pilots was inaugurated in 1947, called the All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race" (AWTAR). From 1948 to 1949 it was called the "Jacqueline Cochran All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race," as she sponsored it, then it returned to its original name. But it was generally known as the Powder Puff Derby. In 1977, rising costs, insurance premiums, and diminished corporate sponsorship saw the competition come to an end after thirty years. The final commemorative flight had many pilots carrying passengers - women who had flown the race before, or new celebrities. Participants 1947-1977. 1. All participants: sorted alphabetically 2. Pilots sorted alphabetically 3. Pilots sorted by race year 4. Passengers in 1977 (some were pilots who flew in previous years, others were student pilots, etc.) 5. Pilots who flew in one race 6. Pilots who flew in multiple races. In 1978, the Air Race Classic, a scaled-down version of the race, made its debut for women pilots. Read about the original race in: Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The True Story of the First Women's Cross-Country Air Race , Gene Nora Jessen, 2002. A few years after the final race, the AWTAR produced the AWTAR Record, which gave information on each race, and was chock full of photos. From that source, provided above are six PDFs featuring the pilots and passengers who took part in the Powder Puff Derby, 1947-1977. All text © 2006-2009 Volcano Seven unless otherwise credited. All illustrations retain original copyright. Please contact us with any concerns as to correct attribution. Any questions, comments or concerns contact Volcano Seven. Sky Girls: The True Story of the First Women’s Cross-County Air Race. This book is a re-release, the original being published in 2002. I can’t help but wonder if this release is perhaps related to the fact another nonfiction book on the exact same subject matter was also released this summer. While no one gets to claim dibs on a subject, I’m sure this was a nice opportunity for the publisher and author to say, “Hey! Remember us! We also wrote a great book on the exact same thing so. . . ” (Although I wish they picked a different title for the release. I hate using the word “girls” when referencing grown women.) I’ve only read this one, so I can’t speak to the other. But the story is a fascinating one and practically writes itself, so I’m sure they’re both equally engaging. Anyway, my formal review: In 1929, nineteen pilots ventured into the open sky to compete in the first female cross-country air race. This competition captured the attention and imagination of spectators and media throughout the world and paved the wave for many generations of female pilots. Their story is captured in remarkable detail in Sky Girls, a chronological retelling of the thrilling race from San Diego to Cincinnati. Jessen’s enthusiasm for the subject is infectious, and her knowledge and detail illuminate the trials and accomplishments of these women even further. The story, despite its dark periods, is optimistic in tone and accompanied by humorous quotes from media reports at the time. It is when the race concludes that this narrative structure falls aside, and the afterward is more difficult to wade through as a result. But overall Sky Girls gives well-deserved attention to the pilots that risked everything to do what they loved, and who also banded and worked together to build each other up. Recommended. The winner in Cleveland, at the end of the first Powder Puff Derby in 1929. Photo from SDASM Archives. The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race by Gene Nora Jessen. Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 August 2015 04:31 Nick Spark Hits: 2674. In 1929, Pancho Barnes competed in the all-women transcontinental air race, known as the "Powder Puff Derby". The race was from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio, site of the 1929 National Air Races. The Powder Puff Derby featured many of the best aviatrixes of the era, including Bobbi Trout, Louise Thaden, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder, Glady's O'Donnell, and more. In the early going, Pancho led the race in the "heavy" class of airplanes. But, coming in for a landing at Pecos in failing light, disaster struck. Her plane hit an automobile that was crossing the field. Thankfully, Pancho wasn't hurt, but her plane was badly damaged. (No word, incidentally, on how the automobile fared. But one can imagine what the owner told Geico. "Hello, my Model T was just hit by a plane!") Despite the accident, Pancho did make it to Cleveland. She presumably spent her time there hanging out with her fellow aviatrixes, and some of her pilot. buddies in attendance, which might have included Jimmy Doolittle and Roscoe Turner. We don't really know that much about her time there, but we know for a fact that she was there thanks to a terrific photo that surfaced last year. The photo, now in the collection of Dr. Lou D'Elia and the Pancho Barnes Trust Estate, is one of those incredible panoramic images that was so popular in the early 1900's. It shows the entire grandstand which, incidentally, was situated at the west end of the Cleveland Airport. There are probably about 50,000 people in this photo, although of course it'd be a real trick to count them all. Scanning the faces with a magnifying glass, it is not hard to locate people who might be some of the famous attendees, including Roscoe, Graf Zeppelin pilot Dr. Hugo Eckner, event organizer Cliff Henderson, Thompson Trophy winner Doug Davis. One person who is plainly identifiable, and plainly visible, is Pancho. She's located towards the right-hand side of the middle of the photo. She's so prominent, in fact, that one has to wonder whether her being their is just a co-incidence! It wouldn't have been the first time that Pancho was at the right place at the right time. as author Gene Nora Jessen related to us, Pancho had a keen nose for publicity. The trip to Cleveland would be an important one for Pancho. When Doug Davis won the Thompson, he would be flying a Travelair "Mystery Ship". The victory, and the publicity surrounding the aircraft, made a big impression on Pancho. She grabbed her check book, purchased an identical plane, and used it to break Amelia Earhart's women's air speed record (see 1-21-07 entry). In a future Production Journal, I'll write a bit about an interesting historic artifact related to the 1929 race. A couple years ago I acquired a film of the event, made by the radio club Q.R.M. to commemorate their participation as race timers. An excerpt from the movie will appear in our documentary, and will represent the first time in roughly 80 years that it's been seen by the public. On the subject of the National Air Races and films, I'm excited to announce that a new documentary DVD has just been released! It's entitled The Story of the 1929-1949 National Air Races. This two hour film represents a labor of love by Joe Stamm, a retired oil-industry executive who flies a 1943 Stearman. Over a four-year period, Joe collected photographs and film footage documenting the glory days of the NAR. It's a fascinating story, one that has -- with the advent of the Red Bull Races and renewed interest in the Reno events -- growing relevancy. The film begins with a prologue that summarizes air racing prior to 1928, and then launches into an encyclopedic description of each year's events. While watching it, you get a strong sense of the acceleration and advance of aviation technology that occurred in the early part of the 20th Century. The highly-souped up, experimental racing aircraft seem to change in form, speed and performance every year or two. One thing that remains constant, is the bravery and skill of the pilots who dared climb into the cockpits. There is some wonderful film footage included in the video, including rare color home movies and newsreels featuring famous people and planes, including the Gee Bees and Goodyear racers. You'll see clearly why the National Air Races were one of the biggest sporting events of their time, ranking right up there in terms of attendance with the Indianapolis 500 or the Kentucky Derby. Sadly, one aspect of the races proved to be their undoing. Accidents were not infrequent. Organizers chose not to acknowledge the risks, probably because they viewed the events as a venue for experimentation. As a result, things could and did happen. The Gee Bee racers, for instance, were notoriously dangerous, and Russell Boardman was killed in the 1933 Thompson Race when his 'Bee went out of control. Throughout its history, however, no bystanders were killed at the NAR -- only pilots. But that changed in 1949, at Cleveland, when just two laps into the opening event of the NAR, Bill Odom's P-51 Mustang Beguine went out of control and crashed into a house. Odom was killed, along with a young mother and her child. The incident, and the coming of the Korean War, ended organized racing for some time to come. As the documentary makes clear however, the tragedy did have a positive result. When organized air racing began at Reno, safety of pilots and spectators became a priority, and it remains that way. You can visit the website, and purchase the DVD, at this link. If you're interested in reading more about the history of the National Air Races, a terrific website to visit is "The History of Air Racing and Record Breaking" here.