The First Women's National Air Derby of 1929, in Santa Monica California
1929 Women's National Air Derby. Image from: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
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Some of the female aviators who competed in the first women’s transcontinental air derby which began in Santa Monica on August 18, 1929. Amelia Earhart is fourth from the right. Louise Thaden, who won the 2700-mile race, is fifth from the right. Image from: Saint Louis University Libraries.
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Director and Producer: Heather Taylor.
"Breaking Through The Clouds: The First Women's National Air Derby" was presented with the National Aviation Hall of Fame's prestigious Comb Gates Award, Telly and TIVA top honors, winner of multiple film festivals as well as the recipient of a top content and top research award. Archetypal Images is the producer and copyright holder of this film. All rights reserved
"The women worked collaboratively to ensure everyone’s success. They consulted each other before making decisions so they were ALL leaders. This is one of the reasons I produced the film as the women are role models of working together toward both collective and personal goals even in a competition! If they fought or only chose one leader, then the press would pick up on that and try to make it seem like there were cat fights. This would overtake the women’s entire purpose of proving they could fly and that flying was safe. This helped not only them, but all those relying on the women for the success of the derby including the plane manufacturers, sponsors, and cities that were promoting them."- Heather Taylor, Producer Breaking Through The Clouds. Interview with Keri Kittleson