Blanche Noyes
Encyclopedia
Blanche Noyes was an American pioneering female aviator who was among the first ten women to receive a pilot's license. She was Ohio
's first licensed female pilot in 1929.
She was a demonstration pilot for Standard Oil
in 1931 and flew with various organizations until her husband died in a crash in 1935.
In 1936 she teamed up as co-pilot to Louise Thaden
and won the Bendix Trophy Race
in the first year women were allowed to compete against men. They set a new world record of 14 hours, 55 minutes from New York City
to Los Angeles, California
. They flew a Beech C17R Staggerwing
biplane
. Laura Ingalls
, another aviatrix, came in second by 45 minutes flying a Lockheed Orion.
While living in Irvington, New Jersey
Noyes joined the Air Marking Group of the Bureau of Air Commerce in August 1936. She became a member of the Women's Advisory Committee on Aeronautics.
She died on October 1, 1981.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
's first licensed female pilot in 1929.
Biography
She was born on June 23, 1900 as Blanche Wilcox. She married Dewey L. Noyes (c1900-1935). She started flying in 1929 after getting a lesson from her husband.She was a demonstration pilot for Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
in 1931 and flew with various organizations until her husband died in a crash in 1935.
In 1936 she teamed up as co-pilot to Louise Thaden
Louise Thaden
Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden was an aviation pioneer, holder of numerous aviation records, and the first woman to win the Bendix Trophy.-Birth and education:...
and won the Bendix Trophy Race
Bendix trophy
The Bendix Trophy is a U.S. aeronautical racing trophy. The transcontinental, point-to-point race, sponsored by industrialist Vincent Bendix founder of Bendix Corporation, began in 1931 as part of the National Air Races. Initial prize money for the winners was $15,000...
in the first year women were allowed to compete against men. They set a new world record of 14 hours, 55 minutes from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. They flew a Beech C17R Staggerwing
Beechcraft Staggerwing
The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative stagger , that first flew in 1932.-Development:...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
. Laura Ingalls
Laura Ingalls (aviator)
-Birth:She was born in Brooklyn, New York to Francis Abbott Ingalls I and Martha Houghtaling . Martha was the daughter of David Harrison Houghtaling of Kingston, New York, who was a descendant of Jan Willemsen Hoogteling, who arrived in New York on May 9, 1661.Regarding her mother, Laura wrote: "My...
, another aviatrix, came in second by 45 minutes flying a Lockheed Orion.
While living in Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
Noyes joined the Air Marking Group of the Bureau of Air Commerce in August 1936. She became a member of the Women's Advisory Committee on Aeronautics.
She died on October 1, 1981.
Further reading
- "The Major Trophy Races of the Golden Age of Air Racing" by David H. Onkst, US Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved January 6, 2006
- "The Bendix Trophy", Air Racing History, retrieved January 6, 2006
- New York Times; August 20, 1942; page 13; Washington, District of Columbia; August 20, 1942. Mrs. Blanche Noyes of CAA Has to Undo Safety Work to Bar Aid to Enemy. The irony of it all sometimes makes Mrs. Blanche Noyes chuckle, but she is going right ahead with her job of obliterating hundreds of the safety air markers she spent six years getting set up.