1929 Women’s National Air Derby
Image:
Description:
Humorist Will Rogers dubbed it “The Powder Puff Derby,” but those in the 1929 Women’s National Air Derby, the first sanctioned race for female pilots, took it quite seriously. Flying from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, 15 of 20 finished (Earhart placed third), proving women could handle a rugged cross-country race. The public loved it too. People flocked to see the “Flying Flappers” at every stop.
Credit:
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Photo Number:
SI-83-2147
Full Size Image:
Date:
1929
Media Type:
Image
Topic: