Read Online Women Aviators by Karen Bush Gibson - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Bush Gibson
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been the only one with problems.
Her plane suffered more engine problems, but this time she made her own repairs. She figured she was out of the race, but she pushed on and eventually finished. Bobbi Trout never quit.
After the derby, Bobbi focused on the womenâs refueling endurance flight with Elinor Smith. Promoter Jack Sherrill had arranged for them to use a Sunbeam biplane. They flipped a coin to determine who would fly first. Elinor won.
They took off on November 25, 1929. The two pilots planned to alternate flying and sleeping in four-hour shifts. Bobbi could rest, but only after she performed necessary jobs. And refueling wasnât the only task: Engine oil needed to be changed daily, and the rocker arms needed to be greased. Fuel had to be pumped from the cabin tank to the fuel tank, an exhausting job that took a lot of arm strength. Supplies and fuel came courtesy of a rope, which was lowered from another airplane. Provisions were lowered in a bag. The other plane then lowered a pipe for fueling. Bobbi would catch the bag and rope. The nozzle was then be secured to a port in the cabin fuel tanks. From there, 180 gallons (680 liters) of fuel were hand-pumped from the bigger tanks to the planeâs smaller tank.
All went well on the first attempt until the planes drifted apart, jerking the gas line out and soaking Bobbi with gasoline. She also swallowed some of it. Elinor quickly landed, and Bobbi was rushed to the hospital.
They took off again on November 27, 1929. The first two days went well, but on the third day, Bobbi noticed black smoke coming from the exhaust of the supply plane above them. Where thereâs smoke, thereâs often fireâand gasoline is highly flammable. Bobbi pulled the hose out quickly, while Elinor moved their plane away from the supply plane. The supply plane had to make a forced landing. There would be no more refueling.
Bobbi and Elinor remained in the air as long as their fuel lasted. They landed after 42 hours and 3.5 minutes. They were the first all-woman refueling endurance flight.
Bobbi went on to break that refueling record with actress and aviator Edna May Cooper on January 4, 1931. She even celebrated her 25th birthday in the air with birthday cake sent up by a friend. On day three of that flight, their engine began to cough and spit oil. When they were no longer able to maintain altitude, they landed. They had used 1,138 gallons (4,307 liters) of fuel. Their official time in the air was 122 hours and 50 minutes.
The refueling endurance flight brought Bobbi more acclaim, including the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Medallion from the FAI. She also became one of three aviators to receive the Aviation Cross from King Carol II of Romania. The other two recipients were Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.
When the Great Depression arrived, Bobbi worked as a flight instructor for a while before joining fellow pilot Pancho Barnes in the Womenâs Air Reserve, which would allow them to help in catastrophes. The organization flew in medical personnel and supplies to disaster sites. Bobbi received training in first aid, navigation, and military maneuvers.
World War II dried up many flying jobs, but Bobbi learned that aircraft manufacturers were just throwing away rivets because it was too expensive to pay people to sort them. Metal was even more precious during wartime, so Bobbi invented a machine to sort airplane rivets during manufacturing. The rivet-sorting machine saved unused rivets that fell to the ground during the manufacturing process. Her business, the Aero Reclaiming Company, was successful, and she sold it three years later. She then developed deburring equipment to smooth out the edges of machined metal. Because of her inventions, Bobbi was awarded a certificate of achievement from Inventors Workshop International.
Bobbi last piloted an airplane in 1984. She wore many different hats after her golden days of flying: commercial
Her plane suffered more engine problems, but this time she made her own repairs. She figured she was out of the race, but she pushed on and eventually finished. Bobbi Trout never quit.
After the derby, Bobbi focused on the womenâs refueling endurance flight with Elinor Smith. Promoter Jack Sherrill had arranged for them to use a Sunbeam biplane. They flipped a coin to determine who would fly first. Elinor won.
They took off on November 25, 1929. The two pilots planned to alternate flying and sleeping in four-hour shifts. Bobbi could rest, but only after she performed necessary jobs. And refueling wasnât the only task: Engine oil needed to be changed daily, and the rocker arms needed to be greased. Fuel had to be pumped from the cabin tank to the fuel tank, an exhausting job that took a lot of arm strength. Supplies and fuel came courtesy of a rope, which was lowered from another airplane. Provisions were lowered in a bag. The other plane then lowered a pipe for fueling. Bobbi would catch the bag and rope. The nozzle was then be secured to a port in the cabin fuel tanks. From there, 180 gallons (680 liters) of fuel were hand-pumped from the bigger tanks to the planeâs smaller tank.
All went well on the first attempt until the planes drifted apart, jerking the gas line out and soaking Bobbi with gasoline. She also swallowed some of it. Elinor quickly landed, and Bobbi was rushed to the hospital.
They took off again on November 27, 1929. The first two days went well, but on the third day, Bobbi noticed black smoke coming from the exhaust of the supply plane above them. Where thereâs smoke, thereâs often fireâand gasoline is highly flammable. Bobbi pulled the hose out quickly, while Elinor moved their plane away from the supply plane. The supply plane had to make a forced landing. There would be no more refueling.
Bobbi and Elinor remained in the air as long as their fuel lasted. They landed after 42 hours and 3.5 minutes. They were the first all-woman refueling endurance flight.
Bobbi went on to break that refueling record with actress and aviator Edna May Cooper on January 4, 1931. She even celebrated her 25th birthday in the air with birthday cake sent up by a friend. On day three of that flight, their engine began to cough and spit oil. When they were no longer able to maintain altitude, they landed. They had used 1,138 gallons (4,307 liters) of fuel. Their official time in the air was 122 hours and 50 minutes.
The refueling endurance flight brought Bobbi more acclaim, including the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Medallion from the FAI. She also became one of three aviators to receive the Aviation Cross from King Carol II of Romania. The other two recipients were Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.
When the Great Depression arrived, Bobbi worked as a flight instructor for a while before joining fellow pilot Pancho Barnes in the Womenâs Air Reserve, which would allow them to help in catastrophes. The organization flew in medical personnel and supplies to disaster sites. Bobbi received training in first aid, navigation, and military maneuvers.
World War II dried up many flying jobs, but Bobbi learned that aircraft manufacturers were just throwing away rivets because it was too expensive to pay people to sort them. Metal was even more precious during wartime, so Bobbi invented a machine to sort airplane rivets during manufacturing. The rivet-sorting machine saved unused rivets that fell to the ground during the manufacturing process. Her business, the Aero Reclaiming Company, was successful, and she sold it three years later. She then developed deburring equipment to smooth out the edges of machined metal. Because of her inventions, Bobbi was awarded a certificate of achievement from Inventors Workshop International.
Bobbi last piloted an airplane in 1984. She wore many different hats after her golden days of flying: commercial
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