The following is a submission from the Santa Monica Conservancy.
The Women Who Pioneered Aviation History at the Santa Monica Airport
Last month, we celebrated Douglas Day, commemorating the centennial of the first flight around the world. This milestone reminds us of Santa Monica’s rich aviation heritage, including the Santa Monica Airport’s association with women’s aviation in the 20th century. The Santa Monica Airport is a site of ground-based airmarking, a practice of developing large signs visible to assist pilots in aerial navigation. This practice was fundamental to the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots whose first president was Amelia Earhart.
On August 18, 1929, Amelia Earhart and fellow women aviation pioneers gathered at the Santa Monica Airport’s compass rose to embark on the first transcontinental women’s air derby. The 1929 Women’s Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the U.S. taking place as part of the 1929 National Air Races which started at Clover Field in Santa Monica, CA and finished in Cleveland, OH. Some male journalists dubbed the race the “Powder Puff Derby” and sought to diminish the race and its participants.
Louise Thadden won first place and Long Beach’s own, Gladys O’Donnell won second place. There were twenty competitors. Eighteen were from the U.S. including but not pictured here, Florence “Pancho” Barnes from Los Angeles and Amelia Earhart, the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. For more information about the activities and people reflecting Southern California’s aviation history see this report written by Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson and Philip S. Hart for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Long Beach Airport.
Join our Community Listening Session
As we approach a historic transition with the airport’s planned closure in 2028, the City has launched the Santa Monica Conversion Project to transform these 192 acres into a great park. We invite you to help shape this future while honoring its past by attending a Conservancy listening session.
RSVP: https://lu.ma/a1t85uls
Location: Ocean Park Library, 2601 Main St, Santa Monica, Ca 90405.
Date: October 30th, 2024
Time: Doors Open at 5pm. Discussion Opens at 5:30pm. A Zoom Link will be made available in the days approaching the event for those who wish to attend virtually.
Let’s discuss how we can preserve the site’s heritage in the park’s design! The listening session will include brief background of the 99s by historian Olivia White speaking about the Ninety-Nines with additional exploration of the cultural significance of this land, from its indigenous Tongva roots to its aviation legacy. The Conservancy will record your input on the stories of our City’s history that are important to share and how history can be meaningfully incorporated in the park design through exhibits, public art, or other creative approaches.
