Willa Brown
Details of Willa Brown’s trip to the Chicago Defender come from a Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Teacher Guide, “African American Pioneers in Aviation, 1920-Present,” page 14.
Part III: Wartime and Military Flying
Vi Cowden’s quote about the disbanding of the WASPs comes from her interview with the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center.
Jacqueline Cochran
Jacqueline Cochran’s quote comes from the book Flying for Her Country: The American & Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War I by Amy Goodpaster Strebe (Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2007).
Violet Cowden
Quotes come from Violet Cowden’s interview with the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center from the Library of Congress and the documentary Fly Girls.
Valentina Grizodubova
Valentina Grizodubova’s quote comes from the book Flying for Her Country: The American & Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II by Amy Goodpaster Strebe (Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2007).
Hanna Reitsch
Quotes from Hanna Reitsch come from Nazi Test Pilot to Hitler’s Bunker by Dennis Piszkiewicz (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997).
Part IV: All Part of the Job
Pancho Barnes
The information about attending a flight exhibition with her grandfather come from the Pancho Barnes Official Website, www.panchobarnes.com.
Pancho’s quote “Choose Happy” was mentioned on the Pancho Barnes Official Website, www.panchobarnes.com.
The information about the interview with the reporter around the time of the Powder Puff Derby came from Powder Puff Derby: Petticoat Pilots and Flying Flappers by Mike Walker, (West Sussex, England: Wiley Press, 2003).
Patty Wagstaff
Quotes come from the article “Patty Wagstaff’s Second Act” by Debbie Gary, published in Air and Space magazine, August 2011.
Part V: Making a Difference
Details about Patricia Mawuli came from the World newspaper, “Patricia Mawuli: Ghana’s High-Flying Woman,” June 11, 2012, www.theworld.org/2012/06/patricia-mawuli-ghanas-high-flying-woman.
Ruth Nichols
The quote from Ruth Nichols comes from the National Aviation Hall of Fame website, www.nationalaviation.org/nichols-ruth.
Jennifer Murray
Quotes come from the talk she gave for TEDx, which is called “Jennifer Murray—Survival Against the Odds” and can be found at TEDxTalks, http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxHKUST-Jennifer-Murray-Survi;search%3AJennifer%20Murray. TED is a nonprofit organization that sponsors programs that fit the tagline “Ideas Worth Spreading” from three areas: technology, entertainment, and design.
Ida Van Smith
Ida Van Smith’s quote about children learning aviation comes from an interview with the Robesonian, printed on May 11, 2003. The article by Jim Rathgeber is titled “Liftoff: ‘Dreams of Flight’ Exhibit Opens Wednesday at Robeson Museum,” and the quote is on page 7C.
Jerrie Cobb
The quote about the space program is from an interview with the Oklahoman newspaper, “State-Born Aviatrix Yearns for Space” by Ann DeFrange.
GLOSSARY
aerialist: A person who performs in the air, such as on a trapeze or on an airplane. Barnstormers sometimes had people walking on wings and trying other moves outside of planes while they were in the air.
aerobatics: Expert and sometimes dangerous movements performed by aircraft in the sky.
aeronautics: The science of aircraft of all kinds, from airplanes to rockets, including design, construction, and repair.
altitude: The height of something from the ground. Altitude records were popular in the early days of aviation.
Army Air Forces: This US military branch was in charge of military flying during World War II. More than 2.4 million people served in the Army Air Forces. It later became the US Air Force.
barnstorming: Performing exhibition or stunt flying, often in small towns or rural areas.
biplane: An airplane that has two sets of wings instead of one set, as found in monoplanes.
bush pilot: A bush pilot serves in remote areas of Africa, Australia, or the Arctic tundra. Due to the hostile flying environment, a bush pilot must be very skilled. Planes most suited for this kind of flying usually have high wings and taildragger landing gear. Taildraggers, also known as conventional landing gear, have two large forward wheels and one wheel at the back of the plane. Because of the short runways common in remote areas, bush planes usually have high-lift devices. Some bush planes have floats or skis that allow them to operate on water or snow.
Caudron: The Caudron Airplane Company was an early and famous French aircraft company founded by brothers, Gaston and René Caudron. The Caudron brothers also operated a flight school in France. The aircraft company also produced planes for World War I and World War II.
Cessna: An aircraft manufacturing company based in Wichita, Kansas, and founded by Clyde Cessna, who built his first airplane in 1911. In 1924, he partnered with Walter Beech and Lloyd C. Stearman to create Travel Air, a manufacturer of biplanes. A few years later, Cessna left and started his own company, Cessna Aircraft Company, focusing on monoplanes. Cessna Aircraft Company became a leading producer of light aircraft. It now produces single-engine airplanes and business jets.
Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA): A regulatory agency governing civil aviation. In the United States, many of the CAA’s duties were transferred to the Federal Aviation Administration. Other countries also have agencies to regulate aviation.
Civil Air Patrol (CAP): A voluntary aviation agency that began in the late 1930s to assist with defense efforts in the United States. The CAP later became part of the US Air Force Auxiliary. It continues today by providing emergency services, education, and cadet programs.
cub: A Piper Cub airplane. This light aircraft was produced from the 1930s to the 1980s.
derby: Although a derby is a type of hat, it is also a race. Horse races are often called derbies—for example, the Kentucky Derby. Some air races also used the term “derby,” such as the Women’s Air Derby.
endurance: The ability to last at something for a long time. Endurance records joined speed and altitude records as important in aviation during the first half of the 20th century.
exhibition: A public display of something. In early aviation, people gathered to watch airplanes take off and fly in exhibitions.
fascism: A form of government in which the leader, known as a dictator, has complete control of the country. During World War II, both Italy and Germany were ruled by fascism.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): A government organization within the Department of Transportation that sets and oversees standards for aircraft, regulates air traffic, inspects aircraft, and investigates accidents.
flyer: Early airplanes, specifically the first powered aircraft by the Wright brothers, were called flyers.
glider: A light aircraft that flies by using air currents instead of engines. Gliders became popular in Germany after World War I, as Germany was not allowed to build military-type aircraft.
knickerbockers: Loose-fitting trousers that fit at the knee.
license: A document that gives a person permission to do something. A pilot’s license gives the owner permission to fly an airplane. Some specific aviation licenses include student, private, sport, and commercial licenses.
Lockheed: An American aerospace company originally founded in 1912 as Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company. In 1926, it became Lockheed Aircraft Company and later Lockheed Corporation. Its first successful aircraft was the Vega, used by aviators such as Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post. Their Electra model was used in Earhart’s around-the-world flight and later as a base for various military aircraft for the United States and Great Britain. In all, Lockheed produced 6 percent of the military aircraft in World War II. After the war, Lockheed began developing airliners for companies suc
h as Trans-World Airlines (TWA), but it also continued a military division for which it developed jet fighters and military transports. In 1995, Lockheed merged with Martin Marietta and became known as Lockheed Martin.
Mach: A unit for measuring the speed of aircraft, named after Austrian physicist Ernst Mach. Mach actually shows flight velocity and depends on the altitudes. Mach 1 at sea level is 761 miles per hour (1,224 kilometers per hour). This is also known as the speed of sound. Mach 2 is twice the speed of sound.
monoplane: An airplane with one set of wings.
pilot-in-command: The person in charge of the aircraft while flying. This is often the captain of the plane in airliners and military aircraft.
pursuit plane: A pursuit plane is a military fighter airplane created for air-to-air combat.
ratings: Certifications among pilots that determine what types of airplanes they are able to fly. Ratings can be based on the type of plane, such as glider or helicopter. Ratings can also refer to instrument rating, which is an advanced rating that demonstrates that a pilot is capable of flying in unfamiliar locations or in adverse conditions.
sound barrier: This is related to the speed of sound, or Mach 1. If an aircraft is passing through the sound barrier, it moves faster than sound does. When airplanes first began “breaking” the sound barrier, it created a shock wave that made a booming sound. This doesn’t happen as often, as there are rules about how fast pilots can fly.
taxi: For airplanes, “taxi” means to move along the ground before takeoff or after landing.
transport pilot: A certification that is the highest rating a pilot can hold. For US pilots, this means also being a commercial pilot with an instrument rating.
tsar: A Russian emperor; this leader was a member of Russia’s royalty, who led the country. The word is also sometimes spelled “czar.” The Russian Revolution of 1917 ended the system of tsars.
WAFS: The Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron was created in 1942 to ferry trainers and light aircraft from factories. Initially supervised by Nancy Harkness Love, it was later incorporated into the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
WAVES: Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. An auxiliary organization operated by the navy to release male navy personnel for duty during World War II. With a group of 86,000 women, the WAVES assisted with air-traffic control, air navigation, communication, and clerical work. The WAVES operated between 1942 and 1948.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books for Adults
Bell, Elizabeth S. Sisters of the Wind: Voices of Early Women Aviators. Pasadena, CA: Trilogy Books, 1994.
Carl, Ann B. A WASP Among Eagles: A Woman Military Test Pilot in World War II. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2010.
Cochran, Jacqueline, and Mary Ann Bucknum Brinley. Jackie Cochran: Autobiography. New York: Bantam Books, 1987.
Freydberg, Elizabeth Hadley. Bessie Coleman: The Brownskin Lady Bird. New York: Garland Publishing, 1994.
Hall, Ed Y. Harriet Quimby: America’s First Lady of the Air. Spartanburg, SC: Honoribus Press, 1997.
Hoppes, Jonna Doolittle. Just Doing My Job: Stories of Service from World War II. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press, 2009.
Jaros, Dean. Heroes Without Legacy: American Airwomen, 1912–1944. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1994.
Kessler, Lauren. The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes. New York: Random House, 2000.
Marck, Bernard. Women Aviators: From Amelia Earhart to Sally Ride, Making History in Air and Space. New York: Flammarion, 2009.
Markham, Beryl. West with the Night. Reprint, San Francisco: North Point Press, 1983.
Piszkiewicz, Dennis. Nazi Test Pilot to Hitler’s Bunker. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997.
Rich, Doris L. Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995.
Russo, Carolyn. Women and Flight: Portraits of Contemporary Women Pilots. Boston: National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution and Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown, 1997.
Scott, Phil. The Pioneers of Flight: A Documentary History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999.
Smith, Elinor. Aviatrix. New York: Thorndike Press, 1982.
Snook Southern, Neta. I Taught Amelia to Fly. New York: Vantage Press, 1974.
Strebe, Amy Goodpaster. Flying for Her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2007.
Thaden, Louise McPhetridge. High, Wide, and Frightened. Reprint, Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 2005.
Veca, Donna. Just Plane Crazy: Biography of Bobbi Trout. Santa Clara, CA: Osborne Publisher, 1987.
Walker, Mike. Powder Puff Derby: Petticoat Pilots and Flying Flappers. West Sussex, England: Wiley Press, 2004.
Wels, Susan. Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2009.
Whyte, Edna Gardner and Ann L. Cooper. Rising Above It: An Autobiography. New York: Orion Books, 1991.
Books for Children
Brown, Tami Lewis, and François Roca. Soar, Elinor! New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.
McLoone, Margo. Women Explorers of the Air: Harriet Quimby, Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham, Jacqueline Cochran. Minneapolis: Capstone Press, 1999.
Rimmerman, Sara. Hidden Heroine—Fay Gillis Wells. Reston, VA: Zeus Enterprises, 1999.
Newspapers and Magazines
Aviation for Women (magazine)
Burstein, Jennifer. “She Reached for the Sky to Become America’s First Chinese-American Female Pilot.” Audrey Magazine, December 2005.
Church, Ellen. “Flying Brings Life of Enrichment.” Robesonian, January 23, 1995.
Crow, Kelly. “Breaking Barriers.” Oklahoma Today 48, no. 5 (July-August 1998).
“Female Aviation Pioneer to Share Her Fervor for Flight at Stephens College.” Missourian, March 20, 2012.
Flying for Freedom: The Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (Teacher Resource Guide). NMUSAF Education Division.
Grosscup, Luann. “Fly Girls: WASPS Carried the Non-Combat Load When the Boys Were ‘Over There.’” Chicago Tribune, May 23, 1999.
Jameson, Tonya. “Pilots Meet to Mark Opening of First Exhibition of Women Pilots.” Boca Raton News, June 13, 1997.
Lambertson, Giles. “The Other Harlem.” Air and Space Magazine, March 2010.
Lee, Renée C. “Flying Club Inspires Youth to Soar.” Houston Chronicle, February 7, 2012.
Manning, Elizabeth. “Duo Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Woman’s Polar Flight.” Anchorage Daily News, August 4, 2003.
Mortimer, Gavin. “Beryl Markham: Britain’s Amelia Earhart.” Telegraph, November 27, 2009.
Moses, Phyllis R. “The Amazing Aviatrix Elinor Smith.” Woman Pilot, March 30, 2008.
Oakes, Claudia M. “United States Women in Aviation 1930–1939.” Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space, no. 6 (1985).
Robinson, Danielle. “Flying Gran’s Record High.” Manchester Evening News, June 8, 2007.
Tillman, Judith. “Flying: Lifelong Interest for Aviatrix-Grandmother.” Robesonian, January 2, 1979.
“Wally Funk Suited for Space.” State Magazine 5, no. 1 (Fall 2009).
Woo, Elaine. “Katherine Cheung, 98; Immigrant Was Nation’s First Licensed Asian American Woman Pilot.” Los Angeles Times, September 7, 2003.
Videos and DVDs
Bessie Coleman. Texan Cultures. YouTube.
Bessie Coleman: The Fly Girls. Epworth Foundation. YouTube.
Black Wings: The First Female African American Pilot. Smithsonian Channel. YouTube.
Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women’s National Air Derby (Film). Archetypal Images. Heather Taylor, Director. 2010.
Captain Beverly Burns Receives Amelia Earhart Award. Rob and Beverly Burns. YouTube.
Champion Aerobatic Pilot Patty Wagstaff. Moving Art. YouTube.
“Elinor Smith Breaks Woman’s Altitude Record at Roosevelt Fiel
d in New York.” Critical Past. www.criticalpast.com/video/65675041967_Elinor-Smith_aircraft-takes-off_altitude-record_airplane_Roosevelt-Field.
Fly Girls. American Experience, PBS. Laurel Ladevich, Director. WGBH Educational Foundation, 1999.
Jennifer Murray: Survival Against the Odds. TedX. YouTube.
Notes of Hope: Lynn Ripplemeyer. Medical Bridges. YouTube.
Wings of Silver: The Vi Cowden Story (documentary). Mark C. Bonn, Christine Seiber Bonn, Directors, 2010.
“Wright Brothers Demonstrate Flight with a Passenger in Le Mans, France.” Critical Past. www.criticalpast.com/video/65675026656_Wright-brothers_drawn-by-horses_pull-weight-of-launching-derrick_sits-with-a-passenger.
Websites
Air Ambulance Service, “The History of the Air Ambulance”: www.airambulanceservice.com/history.html
AOPA, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: www.aopa.org
Air Race Classic: www.airraceclassic.org/historyt.asp
Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum: www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org
Amelia Earhart Official Website: http://ameliaearhart.com
Ames Historical Society, “Neta Snook”: www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/snook.htm
Angel Flight: www.angelflight.com
Aviation Museum of Kentucky, “Willa Brown Chappell”: www.ket.org/trips/aviation/chappell.htm
AvStop Online Magazine, “Russian Women Pilots”: http://avstop.com/history/aroundtheworld/russia/nexen.htm
Bessie Coleman: www.bessiecoleman.com
Bobbi Trout—Aviatrix: The Official Web Site of the American Legend: www.bobbitrout.com
A Bridge of Wings: http://bridgeofwings.com/
A Brief Flight, “Hazel Ying Lee”: www.hazelyinglee.com/main.html
British Air Transport Auxiliary: www.airtransportaux.com/index.html
California State Military Museum, “Florence L. ‘Pancho’ Barnes”: www.militarymuseum.org/Barnes.html
Century of Flight: www.century-of-flight.net
China History Forum, “History of Aviation in a China That Never Was”: www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?/topic/29274-history-of-aviation-in-a-china-that-never-was
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