1929 Woman Air Derby, Powder Puff Derby Air Race

Hi, all

Just signed on to the forums.

Hope it's okay to post my request for information here.

I am putting together a collection of women air race covers.

I'm starting with the 1929 Woman's Air Derby (better known as the Powder Puff Derby). I've got covers up to 1931, I assume that's the last year it was held. (Could also be known as the Tom Thumb Woman's Air Derby, etc.)

The first cover I've got for the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR, also known as the Powder Puff Derby) is in 1948, an envelope with an Amelia Earhart Airfield stamp on it, with one of the pilots involved writing on it to say that it had been flown cross country.

The earliest one I've got that was actually designed as a Powder Puff Derby Cover is in 1971, and I've wondering if there are any earlier ones than that.

Finally, when the AWTAR ended, it was replaced by the Air Race Classic.

At the same time as the AWTAR was the Angel Derby, or International Air Race for women, and I've got one cover from that.

I'm wondering if these are just "one - offs" or if these covers were done every year.

Anyone know?

Any help appreciated.

I know little or nothing about the Powder Puff Derby, but this ebay listing shows a cover for the event from 1966, so we know that they at least produced cacheted covers that year:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALL-WOMEN-T...em1c35696623

Here's a cropped image of the 1966 cover should the above link not work:

I found this in my collection. Nothing on it about Powder Puff, but right time frame.

This announcement/flyers/handbill fits the event shown on Partime's cover:



It must have been quite an event back in the day!

So, my cover is probably from the first or second stop on their trip? Any idea about the full itinerary?

The extensive itinerary is noted at this link. Note that in the handbill posted above, the name Marvel Crosson is noted. She was killed on August 19, 1929 when her airplane crashed in the Arizona Desert before ever reaching Douglas, Arizona!

http://www.ninety-nines.org/index.c...air_race.htm

Great read, and lots of interesting information on how easy it was to repair and get those birds flying again. Thanks for the great info wt1.

I have some flown covers from the National Air Races, some with pilot autographs and some of those from the Powder Puff Derby and other women's races such as the Dixie Derby. They are packed away at the moment but one thing I have is handy is an actual medal that was given to one of the women pilots of the Powder Puff Derby in 1930. Here are photos of the actual medal that was given to Mrs. Martie Bowman who came in second in the Powder Puff Derby. Phoebe Omlie came in first that year and Gladys O'Donnel came in third behind Martie.

How totally cool that you have that medal. I'm envious.

Thanks to everyone else who has responded. I hope to share a few of my covers with you soon!

Try http://www.Buckacover.com

They have new stuff every week.

Thanks, Thunderchild. This is one of my prize possessions. The hole in the top of it is where a ring and ribbon (now long gone) were attached since they were worn around the neck. Kimo

Nice website.

To clarify the 1930 women's air races, there were two different ones - the Pacific Derby or Class A derby that was restricted to aircraft with high horsepower engines, and the Dixie Derby or Class B Derby that was restricted to aircraft with smaller engines:

The Women's Class A Pacific Derby from Long Beach CA to Chicago IL
1st place Gladys O'Donnell in a Waco
2nd place Mildred Morgan in a Travel Air
3rd place Jean LaRene in a American Eagle

The Women's class B Dixie Race from Washington DC to Chicago IL
1st place Phoebe Omlie in a Monocoupe
2nd place Martie Bowman in a Fleet
3rd place Laura Ingalls in a DH Moth

These two derbies were the way the women pilots arrived at the National Air Races. There were additional races during the National Air Races as well. For example, in the 1930 National Air Races there was a 500 cubic inch engine cabinship race for women that was Event #2 at the races. Phoebie Omlie came in first in a monocoupe, Martie Bowman came in second in a Fleet, and Gladys O'Donnell came in third but I don't know what kind of aircraft she flew in this particular race.

Hi Jessica. I have rummaged through some of my stuff and found a number of covers with aviatrix autographs from that early 1930s time period. Some are Powder Puff and some are other events.

The thing about the Powder Puff Derby races, and the men's races as well, is that there were many commemorative cachet covers that never came anywhere near the pilots and especially were never flown. You need to find a cover that is not only signed by one of the pilots but that also has an added inscription or cachet that says very clearly that it was actually flown by that pilot on their airplane. These were not official US mail routes and so such covers were carried as a courtesy of the pilot and they had them cancelled by courtesy of a post office clerk. As such there are not very many covers that were actually flown since the pilots during the races were trying to keep the weight of their aircraft to a minimum in order to maximize their speed.

Here are the covers that I have in my collection that were signed by various aviatrices - most were flown but some were just autographed non-flown covers like the fifth cover I show. This is basically the same cacheted commemorative cover that Partime shows above in his posting, except mine is autographed by Louise Thaden who was the winner that day.

This one is signed by Frankie Renner




This one is Florence Klingensmith




This is Louise Thaden



This is Florence Barnes, who was called Pancho Barnes by her friends



Here is another Louise Thaden



An Arlene Davis



A Laura Ingalls



Another Laura Ingalls



An Edith Foltz



One more Laura Ingalls



And finally another Louise Thaden but with the added autograph of Frances Marsalis who was her co-pilot on this record setting flight in a Curtiss Thrush biplane

Hi Jessica.

The custom on this forum, like pretty much all forums, is to say a quick thanks, or at least some kind of acknowledgement when someone provides a substantial response.

Best,
Jim