Warbird Information Exchange

...or Col. Wilma Deering from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". Got to love those outfits she used to wear.

This is like the old "Ginger or Mary Ann" dilemma. Good call!

Back row far left may be Gladys O'Donnell - Back row far right may be Jessie Keith-Miller?

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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Fellers, Pancho Barnes hands down! I have always leaned toward "Folks with Character" and she had it in spades. Was she a looker? Maybe, when she was younger. I never got to meet her, but I'd bet I could have spent a month just listening to her stories. All of the photos of her that I have seen were taken late in her life and you might wonder how much she would charge to haunt a house! Would have been proud to say I knew her.

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tracers work both ways

I am in shock, not one of you have mentioned our New England Favorite.

SOPHIA BURNS! And her Navion

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"Hindsight is usually 20% off!"

Second in on the right, sitting, is Amy Johnson, next to Amelia far left is a German aviatrix, perhaps Elly Beinhorn, and the similar outfit worn by the standing woman with her face obscured by an arm might also lead to being German? Thea Rasche?

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/rasche.html

Elly Beinhorn
http://www.nysun.com/article/67622

http://www.ninety-nines.org/index.html

Amy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Johnson

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

My nominiation goes to Polly Vacher. A remarkable lady, Polly has flown her Piper Dakota solo around the world twice (including once via the North Pole and Antarctica) to raise money for Flying Scholarships for the Disabled.

You can read more about Polly here. http://www.worldwings.org/

....and about the very worthwhile charity she supports, aiming to provide funding for disabled people to learn to fly, here.... http://www.toreachforthesky.org.uk/

....and the US-based sister organisation here.... http://www.flyingscholarshipsforthedisabled.com/

As well as this, Polly and her husband Peter (custodians of the lovely ex-Battle of Britain Hurricane I R4118 http://www.hurricanedisplay.co.uk/ ) are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

An interesting thread which has descended from pinup land to something eddicational and thought provoking. Whatever next.

The difficulties overcome by Hazel Ying Lee and Queen Bess Coleman, as well as Katherine Cheung (check back on the links...) just to get to fly and overcoming all sorts of restrictions and prejudices place them, like the Red Tail pilots, on a level above the other greats (IMHO) who were able to get a go without these difficulties. I'm ashamed to say I'd not heard of any of them before this thread, yet we have heard of and rate numerous pilots of far less achievement. The fickle finger of fame usually 'mucks' up.

Most of the women warbird pilots I'm aware of, I suspect, wouldn't appreciate being rated because they are women, but would appreciate being rated simply as good pilots... Just my view, of course.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Hows about

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 508222.ece

Margret Hamilton, Skywriter.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Amen to that Gary! Florence "Pancho" Barnes...Too many of the superficial folks focus on the "cover, and too
little on the book therein". She was a class act! For what she lacked in classic beauty she made up in character...evidenced
by a string of ex-husbands and historic personalities she touched throughout her life...not to mention her flying skills!
An amazing life she had...earlybird foundation of female flight..she knew throughout her life the shakers and
movers of aviation and history! Doolittle, Arnold, Hughes, Hoover, Yeager, Mantz, Halliburton..on and on..

A documentary about Pancho will be airing sometime this spring..looks promising by the details in this website...
www.panchobarnesfilm.com

A journal of the doco production and Pancho history...
www.panchobarnesfilm.com/journal.php

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I wish ALL United FO's looked this good. My good friend and PBJ crew chief Marc's wife Stephanie flies Airbus as well as the family T-34.

Yes, he is a lucky man!!!

Dan

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Check out our new website.
CAF SoCal Wing http://www.cafsocal.com/

And that my friend is very special to be able to share that.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

I recieved a note from the women at the 99's this is it and this is a double post so i will delete shortly..........

The synergy in The 99s never ceases to amaze me. I sent your photo to 3 of our 5500+ members and got this in return:

Hello all, I have an 8x10 print of the photo. The names are scribbled on the back, approximately behind each woman, so a little difficult to be sure. The photo is not dated. A note at the bottom “Annette Gipson Race, all women – usually held Memorial day”


Left to right standing: 1. Arlene Davis, 2. no name, 3. Evelyn Sevorskey (? spelling), 4. Marjorie Ludwigson, National Secretary, N Y Section Governor, 5. no name, 6. no name, 7. Mrs. I J Fox, Ferriers Sponsor, 8. Annette Gipson, 9. Suzanne Humphreys.


Left to right Seated: 1. Edith Descomb, 2. Frances Marsalis, 3. Helen Richey, 4. Amelia Earhart, 5. Amy Mollison, 6. Ruth Nichols. Frances Marsalis worked for WACO Sales at Roosevelt Field in New York. She was killed in an airplane crash in 1934.

And this.........Arlene's husband wanted to learn to fly so went out to the airport and started lessons, each day coming home to tell Arlene of all his exciting adventures. Arlene thought that sounded like fun so started lessons herself, however, in secret so she wouldn't be embarrassed if she couldn't do it. It went well for her and she soloed and was moving right along in her training - still on the QT. One day her husband came home and told her that he would solo the next day and she should come out to the airport and watch it. So she did. He soloed and there was much excitement and congratulations - of course her husband still didn't know that Arlene was already flying. During the back slapping and celebration Arlene commented that that didn't look so hard, walked over to the airplane, got in it, taxied out and took off.

The 99s

Hi AJ,
That's great.

Any bets that's Seversky?

Obviously I was way off base with some guesses. Amy Mollison was obviously during Amy Johnson's unfortunate marriage to Jim Mollision, another record breaking pilot.


Now THAT'S my favourite female pilot.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com