Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The True Story of the First Women's Cross-Country Air Race - Softcover

Jessen, Gene

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1570717699 ISBN 13: 9781570717697

Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2002

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

Illinois native Gene Nora Jessen was introduced to flying as a cadet in the Chicago Civil Air Patrol. She was drawn to the University of Oklahoma's flight training program, became a flight instructor on the flight school faculty and finished working her way through college teaching flying. Along with 25 female pilots she was invited to participate in an astronaut research program about the time of the original Mercury astronauts in 1961. Along with 12 other candidates she passed the physical exams and they became called the Mercury 13, however further testing was canceled.

The stars were aligned in Gene Nora's favor and she was hired by Beech Aircraft Corp in Wichita for what she considered the dream job of all time. She became one of the "Three Musketeers" flying one of three airplanes in formation for three months across 48 states introducing the new Beech model. Continuing on at the Beech factory, she obtained further ratings and flew the entire Beech line. Gene Nora met her husband Bob at Beech and they soon migrated to Boise, ID to found a Beech dealership.

Gene Nora has remained active in aviation, serving on the Boise Airport Commission, installed in the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame, received the Mercury 13 NASA Award, Master Pilot Award, an Honorary PhD., and became an international President of The Ninety-Nines. She is the author of Three books―aviation, of course.

Gene Nora and Bob, who was a WWII B29 pilot, are the parents of two children and are now retired. Gene Nora has flown a dozen air races through the years and is still flying.

Reviews

"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.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In a combination of early aviation history and women's history, this book tells the story of the first major cross-country air race for women, the Powder Puff Derby, as it was dubbed by Will Rogers. Jessen, a historian of the race who was an aviator herself and former president of the Ninety-Nines, the international women pilot's association, brings an authentic aviator's perspective to the story. Although several general histories of women pilots are available, Jessen is the first to publish a book about this specific race, which was quite a sensation in 1929. The race went from Santa Monica, CA, to Cleveland, OH, and included many well-known women pilots of the time, including Amelia Earhart. One pilot was killed in a crash. The text covers the race itself but also documents the careers of women pilots and aviation standards at that time. This amply illustrated book will be popular in many public libraries and won't be out of place in academic libraries either. Charlie Cowling, SUNY at Brockport Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1929, 19 pilots lifted off from Santa Monica, California, in what were, by today's standards, primitive aircraft. Their destination: Cleveland, Ohio, nearly 2,800 miles away. Humorist Will Rogers gave the race its unofficial name, the Powder Puff Derby; in fact, it was called the National Air Derby, and it showcased the best female pilots in the country. Organized by Amelia Earhart, it was the first really big race to feature female pilots; that fact alone took it off the sports pages and stuck it on the front page. In an age when women were still considered the "weaker sex," in an age when even a woman's right to vote was still controversial (the nineteenth amendment was passed in 1920), a crosscountry air race involving female flyers was downright spectacular. Jessen, a former president of the NinetyNines (the international women pilots' organization), chronicles the race and its publicity in fine detail: this is not just an excellent story of female pilots at the beginning of the twentieth century, but a stirring history of the early years of aviation. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1570717699
• ISBN 13: 9781570717697
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320