Powder Puff Derby
The Cleveland Women's Air Derby , now mainly known as Powder Puff Derby ( powder puffs race ), was the world's first air derby only for pilots. It took place August 13-20, 1929 and ran from Santa Monica , California to Cleveland , Ohio . In 1977 the races were given up.
It got its nickname from comedian Will Rogers , who called it the “Powder Puff Derby” after the cosmetic utensil customary for women at the time. The name was also adopted by participants such as the winner of the race, Louise Thaden .
Conditions of participation and participants
The condition for participation was: All female pilots had to have a license and at least 100 hours of experience in the air, and their aircraft had to have “engines that are appropriate for women”. Opal Kunz , whose plane had 300 hp, was therefore disqualified: her plane was "too fast for a woman". Kunz found a weaker machine and flew with it anyway.
Eighteen Americans and two foreigners took part in the Women's Air Derby. The pilots were the Americans Pancho Barnes , Marvel Crosson , Amelia Earhart , Ruth Elder , Claire Mae Fahy , Edith Foltz , Mary Haizlip , Opal Kunz , Mary von Mach , Ruth Nichols , Blanche Noyes , Neva Paris , Margaret Perry , Phoebe Omlie , Gladys O 'Donnell , Louise Thaden , Bobbi Trout , Vera Dawn Walker as well as the German Thea Rasche and the Australian Jessie Keith-Miller .
procedure
An incident occurred before the start. When it was decided on the stopovers on the racetrack, the organizers wanted to schedule the stopovers in the cities that offered them the most money for this "advertising"; the aviators in those with the best airfields. Although the organizers threatened to be disqualified, the female pilots went on strike and were able to prevail.
The 4500 km long route was divided into daily stages of 500 km. The track was very demanding and there were many breakdowns and accidents. For example, Blanche Noyes discovered a fire in the luggage compartment of her aircraft over the Texas desert. She landed, put out the fire with sand, and then flew on. The participants demonstrated team spirit and helped each other with repairs and technical problems.
On the other hand, the pilots at each stage destination were celebrated so frenetically by the crowd and press that they barely had time to worry about their machines or some sleep in addition to receptions and banquets. Storms, mistakes in the organization, illnesses and accidents led the pilots to move closer and closer together.
13 participants reached the finish in Cleveland. Louise Thaden was first, Gladys O'Donnell second and Amelia Earhart third.
consequences
Immediately after the race, the women met and founded their own pilot organization, the Ninety Nines ("Club of the Ninety-nine"). In 1947 the organization founded the All-Woman Air Race from Palm Springs to Tampa , with only two female pilots in the first year. In 1948 the event was renamed the All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race , and in the years that followed, the press revived the old name powder puff derby , which was proudly accepted by the Ninety Nines. The last race of this kind was held in 1977, after which it had to be abandoned for cost reasons.
Reactions to the race
The reactions of the press to the first race were different. Newspapers like the New York Times reported on the cheering of the audience at the intermediate stages during the " dash " from California to Ohio. The New York Times opened its article on the outcome of the race by stating that the remaining 15 contestants were "tired and sunburned but successful knowing that they had defended women's right to fly."
Others called the pilots “petticoat pilots” and “darlings of the air” and described them as “unfeminine” and “frivolous”. It was believed that the 20 or more participants would quarrel and argue and therefore none of them would achieve the goal.
Their courage and skills did not earn the pilots praise, on the contrary. The death of the crashed Marvel Crosson was taken by the press as evidence that women cannot fly.
“The name was not entirely without reason. During the flight, the aviator was completely her husband, but hardly had landed she was nothing more than a completely woman, powder puff and lipstick were the first to be set in motion, in order to be as beautiful as possible for photographers and spectators. "
“No matter what costume they wore, everyone was brave, funny and helpful. The last bit of ice and provisions was shared, and the compass course with its declines was revealed to those who could not calculate it themselves. "
"It was really a wonderful camaraderie, to which the common struggle, the bad weather and the difficulties of this 5200 km long racetrack had welded us together."
literature
- Gena Nora Jessen: The Powder Puff Derby of 1929. The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race. Sourcebooks Trade, Naperville IL 2002, ISBN 1-57071-769-9 .
- Mike Walker: Powder Puff Derby. Petticoat Pilots and Flying Flappers. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester 2003, ISBN 0-470-85140-6 .
Web links
- The 1929 Air Race ( Memento from May 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- Air Race Classic - Transcontinental Memorial Race
Individual evidence
- ^ Douglas Martin (February 2, 2003). Evelyn Trout, Record-Setting Flier, Dies at 97th New York Times (accessed October 10, 2008)
- ↑ (...) I flew over the finish line here today in time to win the first "powder puff air derby" and the honors and prizes that go with it. Luise Thadden (August 26, 1929; published August 27, 1929). Mrs. Thaden tells how she won the derby; (...) New York Times (accessed October 10, 2008)
- ↑ 99s in Aviation History: 1929 Air Race (English)
- ↑ no author details (23 August 1929). Fire in derby plane halts woman flier (...). New York Times (accessed October 10, 2008)
- ↑ “ Tired and sunburned but triumphant in the knowledge that they had vindicated women's right to fly in no uncertain manner, fifteen contestants in the first women's cross-country derby landed here this afternoon. ”- Lauren D. Lyman (August 27, 1929). Mrs. Thaden wins women's air derby; winner of air derby and flier in crash. New York Times (accessed October 10, 2008)