Blonde Dame in a Plane

What was it like for a young female pilot in the 1950s?  In this episode I profile the remarkable aviatrix Jerrie Cobb.

Transcript

Paula 0:00

For the Best Aerospace Era this is mansplaining. Here is the host Anthony L. Sealey

0:10

Welcome aerospace enthusiasts. Based on the name of this podcast, you may think I only cover men. Not so fast. I have covered the awesome and inspiring story of the stunning aviatrix Bessie Coleman. In the episode Daredevil Coleman, I do like to cover awesome female aviators from time to time. A female pilot was known as an aviatrix back then. I like saying the word aviatrix, so let's cover one here. This aviatrix career as a pilot, took her all over the country and deep into South America. She was one of the most accomplished aviatrix of the time, but there's one really good reason why I want to cover her, which I will get to at the very end of this episode. This Aviatrix is named Geraldyn Cobb. Geraldyn Cobb known more commonly as Jerrie Cobb was born in Norma, Oklahoma on March 5th, 1931. She was born in the hard times of the Great Depression. The economy was bad. Unemployment was high, and a major drought was devastating. Farm fields across the heartland of the country. On top of that, she was born in tornado alley. In fact, just a few months before she was born, a devastating tornado outbreak occurred in late November of all months in Oklahoma. An F four tornado formed killing 23, injuring another 150, and caused hundreds of thousands of damage. And to add insult to injury, Cobb had a speech impediment at a young age, and she was made fun of frequently at school. She was never as social as other kids growing up. Because of this Jerrie found that she preferred to be alone and carried this independent spirit throughout her life. Now, despite all the negatives during the 1930s when she was growing up. This was a promising time for aviation. Barnstormers performed air shows in front of crowds in towns, big and small across the country. Charles Lindbergh's historic flight was still fresh in everyone's mind and Amelia Earhart was a household name because of her accomplishments in the air. Also airlines. Were slowly diversifying their business portfolio from just transporting Air mail to adding passengers and cargo with new, improved airplanes with more routes. It wasn't just men that were interested in aviation though. More women were getting involved. You have heard of the 49 ERs, you've heard of the 76 ERs, but have you heard of the 99 ERs, Amelia Earhart and other Aviatrix push to participate in air race events. It was at these events where the idea for our organization, solely for women who were interested in aviation, took form. The name Ninety Nines came from the number of correspondents the organization first received to join this new organization geared exclusively towards women. Members of the Ninety Nines competed in air races and were known to get out of their planes, immediately, powder their nose and apply lipstick before walking up to the podium to collect their trophy. And keep in mind, they competed against men in these races. This organization, which is still around today, was officially established all the way back in 1929. But the young Jerrie Cobb was not interested in any of that. Aviation was not her first love. Just like most American girls, she liked horses and she was a natural at riding. Her family had moved to Texas. As her father, Harvey Cobb was a member of the National Guard. Jerrie was very independent and spent her free time outside of school and church riding a horse in the wide open fields of Texas. She also spent time brushing and cleaning the horse's hooves. Jerrie was very independent and preferred to be alone. Riding out into the wide open fields. Just her, the horse, the wind, the massive Texas sky above. This was her paradise from everyone and everything. I can relate to that. We all need an escape sometimes. In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, her father Harvey. Look for ways to contribute to the war effort despite his age. At the time of the attack. The Air Corps was the ticket. Harvey needed to acquire a private license to transfer to the Air Corps. He scrounged up enough money to buy an airplane to earn some flight hours. The airplane he acquired was a small Taylorcraft. Harvey was proud of this, and despite his wife's Helena's reservations persuaded her into letting him take Jerrie and her sister Carolyn for a ride. Jerrie said on the first time in an airplane. Even before the old Taylorcraft had reached 300 feet, I recognized the sky would be my home for an adolescent who yearned for the freedom of the fields in the winds. For a girl who had learned to be alone, the sky was the answer. I tumbled out of the airplane with stars in my eyes. Aviation would have to wait though for Jerrie, not because she was a girl, but because she was only around 10 at the time. However, with this flight, her father Harvey had opened up Pandora's box. Jerrie bombarded her father with questions and requests to learn to fly just as he had the typical responses he gave her. Were too young, too pretty, and you're a girl. These responses did not stop Jerrie from trying. Harvey relied on the classic Ask your mother. Knowing full well that she would also say no. Eventually though, they gave in and agreed only if Jerrie got better grades at school. Jerrie hated school and did not have many friends there. Being trapped behind a desk in a classroom was far from the solo adventures Jerrie longed for, but if this was a way to get back in the sky, then so be it. Jerrie met her father at the airfield every day that she could. After school, Harvey had acquired a more capable aircraft by this time, a Waco biplane. Jerrie, who is now a preteen, needed to sit on a pillow to reach the controls and see properly. Jerrie later said, of the first plane she ever flew. The prop wash from the Waco's sturdy little wooden propeller was a rushing gusting stream of wind once a loft. You also felt every gust on your cheeks and the sun was hot. Not the same kind of experience most of us have in the air today. But for Jerrie, she never felt more at home and free than she did in the air with her blonde pigtails flying in the wind. This was a routine until Harvey was transferred to Denver. The family moved, once again, Jerry was what you call an army brat. She hated high school in Denver, even more than she hated grade school back in Texas and often skipped school. Harvey caught her once and had that reality check conversation with his daughter. That, what do you really want out of life and what you really wanna do with your life type of conversations. He told her of the much larger and more complicated aircraft the Army Air Force was flying. Now they had many gauges and pilots needed, know math and calculate their fuel, their range, in order to fly correctly. This would've been towards the end of World War ii, so he may have been referring to B 29 nines here if she really wanted to be an aviator and fly something more challenging. Than she would need some education and particularly learn math. There is a lot of math involved in aviation, for example, calculating the weight of the payload to the amount of fuel, plus the added weight of the fuel. This was the 1940s, and they didn't have dispatch computers or an app to calculate this for them. This conversation hit home. Jerry worked hard in school even though she did not like the social side of the high school with cliques, dating and drama. Fortunately for Jerry, her biology teacher was also a private pilot. He offered her more formal flight lessons. He had an Aeronca champion aircraft in March of 1947 while they taxied after air landing, her teacher got out and said, take her, she's all yours. This was her first solo flight. Jerrie said of the event I was in a wonderful state of silent aloneness, flouting, high and free on a small kite I could control. She needed more solo flying hours, so she did any and all odd jobs she could to pay for lessons. Jerrie even traded labor washing and waxing airplanes for some flight time. Jerrie hard work paid off, and on her 16th birthday she passed a flight license and earned a pilot's license. By her 18th birthday, she earned a commercial license. She also played professional softball during this time to help pay for flight time. Jerrie was an athlete. Although I don't know how she balanced school, church, softball, and flying now with enough solo hours and a commercial license on her resume. It was time to find some work. But who would hire a young female pilot in the late 1940s? Think about how many former Army and Navy pilots there were who served in World War II that were out there looking for work. Some of them highly decorated. Jerrie had to face reality and decided to attend college. Instead, She went back to her home state of Oklahoma and attended the Oklahoma College for women in Chickasa. Jerrie took to college much better than high school. And as an added bounus, there was a small airport nearby she worked at in her spare time. Instead of finishing college though, Jerrie played for a pro softball team called The Sooner Queens. She played first base but wasn't paid in money. The team instead paid her with a Fairchild PT 23. It was, a war surplus trainer aircraft. The team bought it for her with the agreement that she would play for a space for a season. I've seen some odd professional contracts like the Bobby Bonilla contract that pays him a million dollars every July 1st, but I don't think I've ever seen a professional team give a player an airplane in exchange for signing a contract, Jerrie must have been really good on the softball field. She also came in second in a state golf championship tournament. We were talking about an exceptional athlete here. Jerrie almost gave up aviation for her softball career, but Jerrie interest in sports lost out to her love of flying, and she now had a plane of her own. By age 20, she found work doing jobs that male pilots did not want because they were either boring or dangerous. One of the more boring jobs she did was to fly low along oil pipelines to check for leaks. Jerrie also took the dangerous job of flight instructor. Imagine how men of the early 1950s. Took to a young, healthy blonde with curls and freckles teaching them how to fly what a dame is. Our instructor, Jerrie strong and stern personality came in handy here. It wasn't all boring though. Jerrie entered air races and was really good at it. Despite not having the best or flashes airplane. The first air race Jerrie entered in was from Dallas, Texas to Topeka, Kansas. She placed third and won a total of 125 bucks, but she also got an extra 25 for being the youngest pilot entered in the race. That's a total of 150 bucks, which according to the internet, is equal to 1800. In today's money inflation is terrible. But Jerrie finally made some real money flying. Jerrie also entered the all Women's Transcontinental Air race from California to New York. She placed forth winning another 100, but might've won the race. Had she been more accustomed to navigating the massive New York skyline, it's easy to get lost there as fun, as exciting as air races were. Jerrie wanted a new challenge. She wanted to find something bigger. Jerrie, came across an ad from an airline in Miami looking for pilots to fly their DC threes shockingly though it was an unpaid position for pilots looking to gain experience. Imagine that. This was perfect. She applied and received an acceptance telegraph. Jerrie made arrangements packed up and driven old Pontiac all the way down to Miami. Unfortunately, the airline owners did not realize that Jerrie was a woman. There was no LinkedIn back then to check applicants. The airline said, we can't expect our passengers to fly with a girl copilot. They're already scared of flying. You may have all the ratings in the world and 10 million hours of flying experience, but no airline passenger will ever fly with a woman in the cockpit. Granted, this was the early 1950s. How many women even had driver's license at the time? Probably not as many as there are today. This was a dead end and she did not have enough money to make it back to Oklahoma. Jerrie found an office job in Miami for an aircraft company called Aerodex Incorporated. Not the job she wanted, but at least it was still in aviation. One day she encountered a pilot whose occupation was to ferry aircraft down to South America. The pilot's name was Jack Ford. On their first meeting, he snapped at her about a work order. Just as she was walking up to her desk, he complained and was very offensive towards her. For those who work in the airlines or at an airport, we encounter this type of attitude often from the traveling public. And we do not appreciate it. And keep in mind, there are many airline workers that are also pilots. So one day they may be the ones in the flight deck who are flying you around. Jack Ford returned later that day after cleaning up his appearance and his attitude and bought Jerrie a cup of coffee at a coffee shop to apologize. His ferry company Fleetwood Incorporated. Was in need of pilots to fly aircraft down to South America. Jerrie reached into her pocket and slapped down her license right in front of him on the table. Ford was definitely caught off guard by this. He was adamant that sure women can fly but not for work and definitely not for the dangerous ferry. Flights. An exchange followed. Jerrie eventually got up to leave and basically said with a smile. If you need a pilot, you know where to find me. A week later, Ford called Jerrie desperate. He said, i've got a flock of T6s in Trenton, New Jersey that I have to go to Peru pronto. And no pilots willing to fly them there. He went on to say, it's dirty, it's difficult, and it's dangerous. Just what Jerry was looking for. Now you don't have to look at a map to know New Jersey to Peru is a long way and covers different terrain like jungle, ocean, and mountain. Also, the T6 was just a one engine, two seater aircraft used to train pilots. No male or sane pilot would take the job. Jerrie happily took the job. Now, Ford's advice for Jerry as they and the others flew in formation over the Gulf to Columbia. If you don't hit the coast right the first time, you have a 15 minute safety margin at best, and there's jungle on both sides. Be right or be wet. Not the most reassuring advice. They did make it safely to Columbia though, but the danger was far from over. But at the airfield in Columbia. Ford's T6 had a mechanical failure. So Jerry, who had never flown in the South American continent before, continued on to Ecuador upon landing in Ecuador, this happened. The Ecuadorian army surrounded her T6 with guns drawn. Jerrie was dragged out of her cockpit and thrown face first down on the runway. If there was ever a time to remember your high school Spanish, this was it. The political landscape between Ecuador and Peru had deteriorated once again, and they were on the verge of hostilities. The T6, Jerry was ferrying, was bound for the Peruvian Air Force. The 110 pound blonde who could barely speak grade school level, Spanish was accused of being a spy. South America wasn't exactly a peaceful place at the time. Look up the banana wars. We had a hand in many of those conflicts. Jerrie was thrown in prison and interrogated. This was a complex situation. An American citizen landed a T6. That was still technically owned by a US company, Fleetwood Incorporated in Ecuador. But this T6 was bound for Peru to be integrated in the Peruvian military. What right does Ecuador have to commandeer an American company's airplane and his pilot, although from their point of view, this plane can and will be used against them. This is an international mess. That's a job for the US Embassy to untangle. Meanwhile, Jerrie spent 12 days in an Ecuadorian prison once released though Jerrie flew the T6 to Lima, Peru to complete the ferry job, and that was just the first Jerrie flew around a hundred of these ferry flights over the next year. Some more eventful than othersJerrie had to be ready for anything and kept a machete and a pistol among her supplies. Flying these ferry flights as a solo pilot. Felt like home. Being alone in the plane, along with the wide open sky. Felt similar to the days When she was young, riding a horse out into the fields back in Texas. On one flight over the Caribbean, about a hundred miles from Jamaica, a prop seal blew and engine oil went everywhere. Jerrie could not see, and her engine was going to give out at any moment. She radioed Ford who was flying behind her. He wanted her to ditch, but Jerrie refused. They radioed back and forth. Ford gave her instructions and any information he could. He stayed with her the entire way until Jerrie glided the plane for a landing in Montego Bay. On the ground and elated Jerrie with oil on her face and a big smile, ran and embraced Ford. Yes, this is a love story. It almost sounds like it came out of Hollywood, but this is much better because it involves airplanes. In fact, this episode is gonna come out around Valentine's Day. So, man, instead of getting roses or chocolate or taking your wife or girlfriend out, send her this episode. Lemme know how that works out for you. Now. Their love story was an on again off again love affair. We've all been there. Jerrie stayed on with Fleetwood Incorporated, flying a variety of aircraft including the PBY Catalina. I only bring this up'cause I like that airplane. It's a cool flying boat. She eventually moved on to other businesses flying as a commercial pilot. Jerrie also wanted to break some distance and altitude records, especially records held by female Russian pilots. This was during the Cold War. After all. She pushed a Rockwell Arrow commander to 30,560 feet on January 5th, 1957. Jerrie said, I saw the bluest sky I had ever known. I could barely breathe and not from the lack of oxygen. She did have to wear an oxygen mask for this flight. She went on to say it was the stillness, the godliness of it all. There was no horizon, no boundary, no limit to the ways one could go. That's up there in the realm of jet airliners. But this is years before they were prevalent and she did this in the Rockwell Aero Commander. That's a twin engine turboprop aircraft that you'd more so associate with general aviation. I could go on about her accomplishments here. But I want to fast forward and get to the real reason I wanted to talk about Jerrie Cobb. For that, we need to go to the beach. In 1959, Jerrie was walking along a beach in Miami alone with the water washing up on her feet. The small and stature. 28-year-old blonde was arguably the most remarkable female pilot in the country at the time. While walking along the beach, she met two men. One of them was a brigadier general in the Air Force named Donald Flickinger, and the other was Dr. Randy Loveless. These men conduct a medical test that ultimately help select the Mercury. Seven astronauts. This meeting led to a very interesting story that I will cover in the next series. Until then, thank you so much for listening, and remember, there's always a light at the end of the runway.

Paula 27:47

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