Hofstetter WINGS #3

9. What opportunities existed for women and African Americans in aviation during this period?

Amelia Earhart is known for being the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart took flying lessons from the California pilot Neta Snook. An aviation enthusiast selected Earhart to join two aviators for a flight across the Atlantic in 1928. Even though she was a passenger, the public was drawn to the idea and sight of a young women in an airplane. Earhart organized the first Women’s Air Derby in 1929. Nineteen women entered the contest to race from Los Angeles to Cleveland. Earhart set many women’s records in 1930 and in 1932 was the first woman to fly coast to coast nonstop. To many women, flying symbolized freedom from the limitations they have faced for centuries. Male aviators doubted that women should fly in the early days and male aviators always outnumbered the female. Some flying jobs were denied to women, but many airplane manufacturers wanted women as salespeople. African Americans had an even more difficult time demonstrating themselves to be equal in flight. William Powell believed that participation in aviation by African Americans could finally show the public what they could do and would help break Jim Crow segregation. He organized an Aero club and sponsored an all-black air meet in 1931. He attracted attention by the black press, but was mainly ignored by mainstream media. African American involvement in aviation in the 1920s and 1030s did not bring social change and was mainly unnoticed by white newspaper readers (pg. 280, 307-312).

11. Was aviation open to the average person? How did the aviation industry intend to put an “airplane in every garage”?

Between the wars Americans started to see aviation as a good business prospect. Private flying was on the rise. Flying clubs began to offer inexpensive flight instruction by sharing the cost of owning an airplane and maintaining it. Amy Johnson recognized the importance of encouraging the growth of private flying in order to build a reserve of potential military pilots. The expense of learning to fly and the cost of owning an airplane limited the growth of private flying. The public saw private flying as the image of wealthy men that could afford to fly as a sport. Airplane manufacturers aimed their private sales at such an image. After the surplus of aircraft disappeared, home-built airplanes offered an alternative for pilots with average income. Kits for airplanes would be powered by an automobile or motorcycle engine. These home-built airplanes proved to be dangerous and difficult to fly, actually costing many novice pilots their lives. With the Great Depression many manufacturers gave up on the private aircraft market, but some continued to believe in the private airplane market. Light aircraft was developed, but it was still too expensive. Many people were forced to sell their airplanes within the first year of ownership. It was believed that an aircraft could be put in every garage if only the price was comparable to the automobile. Eugene Vidal completed a survey and discovered that many people would be interested in a low-wing, all-metal monoplane that was less than $1,000, but many industries did not believe it possible to create such a machine. In 1934, Vidal announced a competition for twenty-five new airplanes to be used by inspectors, meeting the requirements for his proposed private airplanes. Despite his efforts, the aviation industry continued to produce the standard airplane types (pg 296-305).

13. How did the aviation industry and government encourage youth to be interested in aviation?

The aviation industry made aviation a dominant theme in popular culture. Aviation films, books, and radio shows showcased aviators as heroes. Comic strips were developed with aviation storylines in the 1930s. The youth got a taste of the adventure of aviation in all areas of the media. Clubs were developed for youngsters interested in flying. The Boy Scouts of America introduced an aviation merit badge and an Air Scout program operated from 1942-1949. Hitler Youth participated in a glider training program to create a pool of potential military aviators. Most of America’s youth preferred building model airplanes as a way to explore flight. Building flying model aircraft as a youth activity began back in the first decade of the century. Airplane modeling attracted young engineers to enter competitions sponsored by aeronautical organizations. The United States saw aircraft modeling as a way to attract bright young people into aeronautic careers. Playground associations, scouting groups, and specialized organizations sanctioned modeling and model competitions. The Air Youth of American was founded to encourage youth activities in aviation and teach an understanding of the national aviation program. Children were thought to be so interested in aviation that any subject could be taught more easily in terms of flying (pg. 313-315).