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their daily lives. Some went on to great fame. Some did not. One disappeared over the vast Pacific Ocean. Louise Thaden, however, was destined to earn even greater notoriety in 1936 flying an airplane that bore Walter Beech’s name, but that, as they say, is another story.KA
NOTES:
1. Thaden, Louise; “High, Wide and Frightened,” Air Facts Press, New York, New York; 1973.
2. Holden, Henry M., and Griffith, Captain Lori; “Ladybirds – The Untold Story of Women Pilots in America;” Black Hawk Publishing Company, Mt. Freedom, N.J.; third printing, December, 1993.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. Ibid
A slender and lightweight Louise McPhetridge von Thaden posed by the massive, supercharged, 1,000-pound Wright SR-1820F3 static, air-cooled radial engine installed on the Beechcraft A17FS in September 1934. She was scheduled to fly the bullish biplane in the MacRobertson International Trophy Race from London, England, to Melbourne, Australia, but was forced to withdraw because of a lack of funding. (COURTESY WILLIAM AND PAT THADEN)
About the Author: Ed Phillips, now retired and living in the South, has researched and written eight books on the unique and rich aviation history that belongs to Wichita, Kan. His writings have focused on the evolution of the airplanes, companies and people that have made Wichita the “Air Capital of the World” for more than 80 years.
AUGUST 2015
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 27