The Golden Age of Radio

In the 1930’s people found an escape from their difficult times as they listened to the radio. Most families had radios and it was their favorite pastime. It became a family tradition for them to gather around the radio and enjoy their favorite shows. They used their imagination and entered a different world from the sadness of the Depression. Imagination can be a very powerful method to use your mind. You can see and hear things you might have missed if you only watch television. You can cry, laugh or smile as you return to a different time. Remember the days of old-time radio doesn’t mean you’re old. 

 These shows consisted of exciting adventures, comedies, and mysteries. A radio show “War of The Worlds” even caused panic in the nation. It sounded so real that people thought the world was invaded by aliens. That’s the power of the imagination. 

The public’s favorites were: The Jack Benny Show, The Shadow, Flash Gordon, The Goldberg’s, The Marx Brothers, The Lucky Strike Radio, Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. Many performers started in Vaudeville, then radio and then some became popular on television and in movies.

Chuck Schaden, a broadcaster and old-time radio historian hosted the radio show Those Were The Days from 1974 to 2005 when he retired. Steve Darnell is the current host and publisher of the Golden Age of Radio. He also writes about his favorite subject Old-Time Radio in the Nostalgic Digest Magazine  You can listen to Steve Darnell every Saturday live from 1 to 5 pm on WDCB 90.90 FM in Chicago and nationwide.  

Some of these shows are available at your local library. If they don’t have them librarians may be able to order them through Inter-Library Loan. This is a service where libraries can search other libraries that might have what you want. Groups of performers entertain at libraries so you can listen to them read scripts of your best-loved shows. Today’s technology allows you to learn interesting facts about the programs and the performers on podcasts. Podcasts are like videos without the pictures. Some retail stores also sell Old Time Radio CD’s or cassette tapes. You can also purchase them online or on Ebay. If technology isn’t “your thing” that’s okay just listen to the radio show I mentioned.

So sit back and relive your memories. Introduce these shows to your children and grandchildren and share your life with them. Maybe they will enjoy this new form of entertainment and spend less time watching television or texting. You might be surprised children might even learn to enjoy the shows. If they don’t like them find joy in them yourself.

Cynthia Florsheim

The Backstory of Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was a great pilot and spokesperson for women. Her notoriety was helped by her publicist/husband. He pushed her to great heights and pushed other women out of the spotlight. I am not trying to bash Amelia. She certifiable deserved all of the accolades that she got. I plan to tell you how Amelia was promoted by her husband George Palmer A common misconception about Amelia is that she was the first person to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. The back story is that she was a passenger on that first flight, not the pilot. On her second flight, she was the actual pilot.  

                                                       

Jessie Woods Wing Walker

Jessie Woods Wing Walker

Jessie Schultz Woods was born in 1909 in a small town in Kansas and didn’t like it all. She found it boring until her brother told her that a plane had landed nearby. She was enthralled with planes and longed to learn to fly. Jessie was smitten by this handsome young flyer named Jimmy Woods. Against her parents’ wishes she ran off with him to join his show. Soon they got married and entertained with their circus of stunts.
They landed anywhere there was a grass field or a fairgrounds celebration. They soon got married and took their show on the road. Jimmy Woods was a well-known flyer, but he knew that he needed a special person to grab the public attention. That attention would be his beautiful wife.
He taught her how to fly and do stunts outside of the plane. Jessie never drove a car but she could fly a plane and do incredible stunts outside her plane. She stood on her head on the wing of the plane. What a site that must have been. Jessie walked on the wing and then parachuted to the ground. People on the ground stared up at Jessie in amazement when she hung by her knees and started to swing back and forth.
They charged $ 1.00 per car and made some money to move on to the next town. The Depression was going on and it was difficult for anyone to make a lot of money. The war was over, and pilots needed to work. The Jenny planes that were used in the war were available to start something new.
Many men formed what they called flying air circuses. They did tricks and different stunts with their planes and sometimes even had a woman walk out onto the wing and do stunts there. It was very dangerous, but Jesse and her husband decided to form the Flying Aces Air Circus. They became the longest running air circus in the United States. In order to eat they had to have a spectacular show that people would come to see their show no other pilots shows.
Jessie was an incredibly daring woman. She learned how to fly from her husband and aviation became her life. Soon she was able to jump from the wing of a plane with a parachute. One while walking on the wing she fell 3000 feet and she wasn’t wearing a parachute. She hung by her knees and on rope ladders and began to swing underneath the plane. She fell off the wing when the plane turned upside down. Then she opened her parachute and safely fell into a cow pasture.
Because of lack of money, she learned how to fix her own plane. Jimmie taught her how and she even became a very good mechanic.
Aces Flying Air Circus through the Depression and closed in 1938. It became the longest flying circus in the country. The war was over, and pilots needed to find work. The Jenny planes they flew were available and they developed a way to make money.
In 1938 the government formed the civil aeronautics authority. Because of many accidents the barnstorming era ended. Air Circuses like Jimmie and Jessie’s weren’t able to perform.
In 1938 Jessie and Jimmie became a pilot instructors and trained pilots during World War 1. Jessie then joined the civil air patrol. In 1967 she was honored to be named Pilot of the Year from the Washington state pilots Association. In 1994 Jessie was inducted into the women in aviation in the International Pioneer Hall of Fame. She was also a member of the 99s which is a woman’s aviation advocacy group founded in 1929 by Amelia Earhart. In 1967 Jessie was named the pilot of the year by Washington State.
She supported our military and was able to receive government contracts to train men going off to war. Jessie flew till 1994. What an incredibly long career. She stopped flying in 1904. Her last flight was when she was over 80 years old.

Young Eagles

All over the country The Experimental Aviation Association sponsors a group called Young Eagles. The group sponsors free plane rides for children 8-17 These rides are given at local regional airports. Many have never been in a plane before. Some pilots credit their interest to the Young Eagles Flight. As of November 25, 2023- 2.3 million young people have taken a Young Eagles flight. This program has existed in 90 countries.

  The biggest need is to find volunteer pilots to fly these young people. If you are a member of the Experimental Aviation Association and wish to volunteer contact www.EAA.org./youngeagles. It’s a rewarding experience for a pilot and the young person. Pilots who fly Young Eagles say that they look forward to this experience each year. This volunteer position takes place from April to November. Look at the EAA website and find a Young Eagles Program at an airport near you.

  Parents should be assured that the volunteer pilots are licensed and certified to be totally able to fly your child.        

 They have specific training for the Young Eagles flight. There are 50,000 pilots who volunteer for this programs. 

The pilot will take your child for a look and explanation of the parts of the plane as they walk around the vehicle. Once in the plane the pilot will explain how the plane is controlled. The pilot will identify the instrument panel and understand how the plane will file. 

  Your child will see the world from a different view. The excitement builds as the plane flies higher in the sky. It’s an experience that will be remembered forever. Parents say that the Young Eagle Program inspired their child to become a pilot.

  Parents ask your child if they want to have a ride on an airplane. The responses are usually positive. It’s a safe, free and exciting activity designed for young people. Show them the videos and they will become more interested. Not all of the Young Eagles participants want to be pilots but they were introduced to an interesting experience. The program is completely free don’t hesitate sign your child up as soon as you can. 

  To find out more about the Young Eagles go to the website www.eaa.org/youngeagles to find out more about Young Eagles.

Non -Military Uses for Drones

There are many non-military uses for drones. Some of the most important are:

Surveying land

Fire fighting

Search and rescue

Personal photography 

Photography for realtors

Filmmaking

Videography

 There are many women drone pilots but the percentage is still low. To be a professional drone pilot of course you have to have a certificate. 

  Drones are becoming more important as technology changes. This field of aviation is wide open for women and is very interesting. Women join the future to be a drone pilot. You may use the knowledge for personal, business, or in the military. There is an increasing use for drones in the present and the future.

Drones Uses InThe Military

  Drones have many uses in the military. They are called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) . Technology has advanced so much that they are now used in combat missions. This is a safe way to find the enemy without losing military pilots.

 These vehicles can track enemy targets and even collect data to locate a target. The military knows exactly the damage that was done to the enemy.

  Drones are also used to let the troops know exactly where the danger exists. They also alert troops to rough terrain. 

  They also are used to search and rescue military men and women. Drones are invaluable to drop food and other needed supplies and equipment in inaccessible areas. This helps ground troops from needing to find the position of these soldiers.

  As technology advances more uses for drones will be available. 

Pilot Jobs

1.    Here is a list of different airline jobs that are available to women. Don’t think that a pilot is only for transport of people on vacation.

1. Cargo Carrier. Ex. FedEx, UPS, and even your amazon gifts
2. Military
3. Flight Instructor
4. Corporate Aviation
5. Charter aviation. Transport passengers and/or cargo for business or corporation.
6. Charter operation: No setschedule, you could fly anywhere you want to go
7. Fire-fighting
8. Emergency medical service
9. Media: traffic reporting, news organizations
10. Airshow stunt flying
11. Test pilots: test new equipment

Women make up only 6% of pilots. Ladies there are so many different jobs you could do just as well as men. If you are interested in becoming a pilot you need to have a lot of training to receive your specific type of certificate. It’s a hard road but women can and should believe that they can fly. Don’t ever give up!

Robin Hatfield

Robin Hatfield is a superb pilot from a dynamic family of pilots. Her leadership as president of the aviation group the International Organization of Women Pilots- 99s.

The 99s was formed by Amelia Earhart in 1929. Robin was the first president in the 99s long history from a country out of the United States. She was elected in 2022 and will serve until 2024. 

  In 1979 began her aviation career. She took an introductory flight, and she realized that aviation would dominate her life Robin believes that friendship with other pilots is an important part of membership in the 99s. She knows that mentors are available to new members. This is one of the important goals of the 99s. Robin is an excellent mentor due to her many years of being in the flying community.

  The 99s couldn’t have elected a more experienced pilot as their president. Her hope is to encourage more women to enter the aviation field. Today there are only 6% women pilots, and she feels that the 99s can help raise that percentage. 

 

Julie Clark Acrobatic Pilot

 Julie Clark was a very unusual person who was a captain of a commercial airline and a famous aerobatic pilot. She had fifty years of experience as a pilot. Julie also had a record of 30,000 hours and 40 years without an accident. She retired from airshows in 2019.

  Her honors for her flying were extensive:

  Living Legends of Aviation 

  Sword of Excellence awarded by the International                  Council of AirShows    

  Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award 

  Katherine Wright Memorial Trophy 

 Katherine and Marjorie Stinson Award 

   We all know the Wright Brothers, but few know that their sister.

 You may not know these awards but in the aerobatic field these awards are very important. 

   Katherine Wright was the sister of the Wright Brothers.  Katherine was dedicated to helping her brother in his flying endeavors.

  Katherine and Marjorie Stinson were well-known pilots before Amelie Earhart.   

  In 2019. Julie announced her Farewell Tour at the     Experimental Aviation Association’s Airshow. The continued at the Georgia Air Show and the end of her tour was on October 19th at Rancho Murieta Airport in Rancho Murieta, California. 

Willie Willhite…Deaf Pilot

  Nellie Willhite was the first female deaf pilot in the country and the first in South Dakota to receive her license. It was so amazing that she made her first flight after only 13 hours of flight instruction. 

  Like many aviators she was a barnstormer and a stunt pilot, flew in air races and flew people who had never been in a plane before. 

  The government made laws to end the era of barnstorming because it was too dangerous. In 1945 Nellie flew as a commercial pilot that carried airmail. Nellie was the first pilot and last person deaf person to fly with a commercial license. 

  She was one of the founding members of the 99s and started a 99s chapter in South Dakota. This organization was started in 1929 by Amelia Earhart. She wanted women to be accepted as pilots, not just women pilots.  

  Many women and men were against women flying because they felt they belonged in the kitchen and raising children. They probably were jealous of the attention she received from her goodwill tours.

  Nellie was so pleased when she was inducted in the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1978. Again in 1991 Nellie was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame right before she died. 

  Nellie was a woman who never gave up her dream to be a pilot. She mentored many women and encouraged thel to keep trying and never give up their goal.