City News

Back in the late 1920s and 1930s, airplane racing was an extremely popular and high-stakes sport. The races were structured much like the Indianapolis 500 where thousands of people flocked to multi-day events to watch their favorite fliers. Also popular at the time, fliers were setting records by flying long distances with Charles Lindbergh being the first person to fly

across the Atlantic. Not as known, however, are the achievements of women in aviation during

this period. Many people have heard about Amelia Earhart, but many other women contributed

to flying despite facing severe discrimination.

In his novel “Fly Girls”, author Keith O’Brien details the stories of five daring women

involved in aviation. These women were Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder, Florence Klingensmith,

Ruth Nichols, and Louise Thaden. Many people know Earhart for her mysterious disappearance

while attempting to be the first woman to navigate the globe, however, she did much more.

Earhart, born in Kansas, later found her way to Boston where she worked as a social worker until

she gained fame for being the first woman to ride as a passenger across the Atlantic in 1928,

building her a celebrity image. Earhart later set many records while piloting including being the

first woman to fly across the Atlantic in 1932. Also competing to be the first woman passenger

across the Atlantic in 1927, Ruth Elder was stopped by mechanical problems, something

common among planes at the time. After this, Elder grew her celebrity image by starring in

movies and becoming the “Miss America of Aviation”. Florence Klinginsmith who worked for a

dry cleaner in North Dakota also came onto the aviation stage by being the first woman to

compete in the popular air races with men. Next, Ruth Nichols broke her wealthy New York

family’s expectations by becoming a famous pilot with many simultaneous records. Finally,

Louise Thaden, a mother of two from Kansas, was the first woman to win the Bendix Trophy, a

race from California to Ohio.

With all the amazing achievements of these women, “Fly Girls” is not for younger

readers. Many pilots, including some of the women mentioned above, died in horrible aviation

accidents. Planes at this period in time were extremely unreliable and often experienced

mechanical failures. With these failures, not all pilots could find a safe place to crash land. This

gives the book a sometimes depressing tone when paired with the elements of gender

discrimination. For many years, women were not allowed to compete in the national air races,

including the Bendix Trophy race, simply because women were seen as inferior.

Overall, O’Brien does a great job of narrating the stories of these women. He captures

both the amazing feats they achieve and the devastations that came as a result. This book

explores the genres of aviation and gender rights in a way that keeps readers captivated. This

book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys stories of success against the odds and the

excitement of aviation during the Golden Age of competitive flying.

Checkout Fly Girls from the Newport Beach Public Library.