“Is she for real?”
That’s the question I asked myself when I saw the 1988 made-for-TV movie “The Pancho Barnes Story” starring Valerie Bertenelli. I was a fledgling aviator at the time and just stumbled across this movie. I was transfixed.
The Legendary Life of Pancho Barnes, Aviatrix
Before becoming one of the first Hollywood stunt pilots, Barnes was a debutante who ran away to sea disguised as a man and traveled with revolutionaries in Mexico.
Key Takeaways:
- Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes was a rebellious aviation pioneer who defied societal norms, learning to fly in 1928 and competing in the inaugural Women's Air Derby.
- She became a prominent Hollywood stunt pilot, notably organizing the Associated Motion Picture Pilots union to advocate for fair pay, improved safety, and benefits for her peers.
- Barnes established "The Happy Bottom Riding Club" near what became Edwards Air Force Base, creating a legendary desert retreat and vital social hub for test pilots and aviators, cementing her unique place in aviation history.
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