Women's Air Derby facts for kids
The Women's Air Derby was a very important airplane race just for women in the United States. It happened in 1929 as part of the National Air Races. A famous comedian named Will Rogers called it the Powder Puff Derby. This fun nickname is how most people remember the race today.
Nineteen brave pilots started the race from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1929. Another pilot joined the next day. Sadly, one pilot, Marvel Crosson, died in a crash. It seemed to be caused by carbon monoxide. But fifteen pilots finished the race in Cleveland, Ohio, nine days later.
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What Was the Race About?
The Women's Air Derby in 1929 was the first big race just for female pilots. It was part of the National Air Races and Aeronautical Exposition. Cliff Henderson, who organized air races, created this event. He based it on the men's cross-country air races.
Who Could Race?
Forty women pilots were good enough to enter the race. To qualify, each pilot needed to have flown alone for at least 100 hours. They also needed at least 25 hours of flying across the country. These were the same rules for men in the National Air Races.
Twenty women actually competed in the derby. Eighteen of them were from the United States. Here are some of the famous pilots who took part:
- Florence "Pancho" Lowe Barnes
- Marvel Crosson
- Amelia Earhart
- Ruth Elder
- Claire Mae Fahy
- Edith Foltz
- Mary Haizlip
- Jessie Miller, from Australia
- Opal Kunz
- Mary von Mach
- Ruth Nichols
- Blanche W. Noyes
- Gladys O'Donnell
- Phoebe Omlie
- Neva Paris
- Margaret Perry
- Thea Rasche, from Germany
- Louise Thaden
- Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout
- Vera Dawn Walker
The rules also said that the airplanes had to have the right amount of power "for a woman." For example, Opal Kunz owned a powerful Travel Air plane. But officials said it was "too fast for a woman to fly." So, she had to find a less powerful plane for the race.
The Route and Challenges
The pilots started their journey from Santa Monica, California. They were divided into two groups based on their plane's engine size. Fourteen pilots were in the heavy plane class. Six were in the lighter class.
The race had many stops on the way to Cleveland. These stops included places like 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 would often stay overnight. They would refuel their planes, make repairs, and meet with the media. They also enjoyed dinner parties.
To keep the planes safe, they took off one minute apart. The lighter planes went first. Joe Nikrent, an official, was in charge of timing the takeoffs.
Some pilots faced problems during the race. Amelia Earhart had a problem with her plane's starter at the beginning. She had to return to the airfield for quick repairs. Later, she damaged her propeller. The race was actually paused until her plane could be fixed. Other pilots, like Pancho Barnes, did not get the same special treatment when they had problems.
The race was full of challenges. Marvel Crosson crashed and died in the Gila River Valley. This led to calls for the race to be stopped. But the pilots decided to finish the derby as a tribute to her. Blanche Noyes had to put out a fire in her plane while flying over Pecos. She still kept going! Margaret Perry got sick with typhoid fever. Pancho Barnes crashed her plane in Pecos, Texas, when a car drove onto the runway. Ruth Nichols also crashed. Claire Fahy's plane wires were damaged, possibly on purpose. She had to leave the race.
The Finish Line
About 18,000 people gathered in Cleveland, Ohio, to welcome the pilots. Louise Thaden finished first on August 26. She won the heavy class in 20 hours, 19 minutes, and 4 seconds. Phoebe Omlie won the light class in 25 hours, 12 minutes, and 47.5 seconds.
Here are the top finishers in the heavy class:
- Louise Thaden
- Gladys O'Donnell
- Amelia Earhart
- Blanche Noyes
- Ruth Elder
- Neva Paris
- Mary Haizlip
- Opal Kunz
- Mary von Mach
- Vera Dawn Walker
And here are the finishers in the light class:
- Phoebe Omlie
- Edith Foltz
- Jessie Keith-Miller
- Thea Rasche
Bobbi Trout also finished the race, but her time was not officially recorded.
The Derby's Legacy
The Women's Air Derby was a big event that inspired many stories.
Books and Movies
The race was the subject of a 1935 novel called Women in the Wind: A Novel of the Women's National Air Derby by Francis Walton. This book was later made into a movie in 1939.
In 2002, a book called The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race was written by Gene Nora Jessen.
Documentaries
A 2010 documentary, Breaking through the Clouds: The First Women's National Air Derby, tells the story of the race. It includes interviews with family members of the pilots.
Another documentary from 2015, Beyond The Powder: The Legacy of the First Women’s Cross Country Air Race, looked at the 1929 race and how it still influences women's air racing today. The race continues annually, now called the Air Race Classic.
Other Books
The 2018 book Fly girls: how five daring women defied all odds and made aviation history by Keith O'Brien also covered this historic race.
In 2019, Steve Sheinkin wrote "Born to Fly: the first women's air race across America" especially for young adults.
