Page 29 - August 2015 Volume 9, Number 8

In 1934, Louise had an opportunity to fly Beechcraft A17F5 in a long- distance race known as the MacRobertson International Trophy Race,
a 12,000-mile free-for-all that began in London, England, and ended
in Melbourne, Australia. The one-of-a-kind A17F5 was powered by a supercharged Wright SR-1820 static, air-cooled radial engine rated at
710 hp. Unfortunately, insufficient funding for the airplane and preparations for the race forced Thaden to withdraw from the competition. In 1936, Walter and Olive Ann Beech would give Louise another chance at winning another race – the Bendix cross-country speed dash.
(WILLIAM THADEN AND PAT THADEN WEBB)
complaint Louise voiced was her dissatisfaction with the obsolete radio receiver and the absence of gyroscopic heading indicator instrument.
The Wichita newspapers knew a good story when they saw one, and two women pilots willing to pit their skills against those of their contemporaries, both male and female, made for sensational press. When asked about their chances of winning the race, Louise replied, “Don’t say that we are entered in the women’s division of the Bendix. We are in the Bendix and out to win first prize. If the men take it away from us they will have to do some flying because the Beechcraft can make any of them open their power, and we will hold our engine open all the way.”4 That was tough talk, but both Louise and Blanche intended to fight for the win from takeoff to landing.
The duo departed Wichita on August 31 and made an uneventful flight to New York City. During the next two
28 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
days, the C17R was inspected by race officials and a few minor problems corrected. The ancient radio set was checked by a technician, new spark plugs were installed in all nine cylinders of the Wright radial engine, a few adjustments were made to the landing gear, and a heading indicator was installed, thanks to the generosity of a fellow pilot. In the early morning hours of September 4,
SEPTEMBER 2015