Pancho Barnes
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Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes (July 22, 1901 – March 30, 1975) was a pioneer aviator and a founder of the first movie stunt pilots' union. In 1930, she broke
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
's air speed record. Barnes raced in the
Women's Air Derby The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby, the name by which the race is most common ...
and was a member of the
Ninety-Nines The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...
. In later years, she was known as the owner of the
Happy Bottom Riding Club The Happy Bottom Riding Club (1935–1953), was a dude ranch, restaurant, and hotel operated by aviator Pancho Barnes, Florence "Pancho" Barnes near Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley of California's Mojave Desert. Barnes and her clu ...
, a bar and restaurant in the
Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
,
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
, catering to the legendary test pilots and aviators who worked nearby.


Early years

She was born as Florence Leontine Lowe on July 22, 1901, to Thaddeus Lowe II (1870–1955) and his first wife, Florence May Dobbins, in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
. She was born to a wealthy family, growing up in a large mansion in
San Marino, California San Marino is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was incorporated on April 25, 1913. At the 2020 United States census the population was 12,513, a decline from the 2010 United States census. History Origin of name Th ...
. During her formative years, she attended the area's finest private schools, such as
The Bishop's School The Bishop's School is an independent college preparatory Episcopal day school in La Jolla, a community in San Diego, California. Bishop's is known for its reputation in academics, arts, and athletics, as well as its sizable endowment. The s ...
. Her father, an avid sportsman, encouraged her to appreciate the great outdoors, and Florence became an accomplished equestrian. Her grandfather was
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe (August 20, 1832 – January 16, 1913), also known as Professor T. S. C. Lowe, was an American Civil War aeronaut, scientist and inventor, mostly self-educated in the fields of chemistry, meteorology, and a ...
, who had pioneered American aviation with the establishment of the nation's first military air unit, the Army of the Potomac's balloon corps during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. He took his granddaughter to an air show when she was 10 years old. In 1919, Florence married Reverend C. Rankin Barnes of
South Pasadena, California South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 26,943, up from 25,619 at the 2020 census. It is located in the Western San Gabriel Valley. It is in area and lies betwe ...
, and they had a son, William E. Barnes. Her mother died in 1924.


Aviation career

Having spent four months abroad in Mexico, getting caught up with revolutionaries and escaping the attention of authorities, disguised as a man, she began to use the nickname "Pancho" around this time. Barnes returned to
San Marino, California San Marino is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was incorporated on April 25, 1913. At the 2020 United States census the population was 12,513, a decline from the 2010 United States census. History Origin of name Th ...
, with an inheritance bequeathed to her on her parents' death. In 1928, while driving her cousin Dean Banks to flying lessons, she decided to learn to fly, and convinced her cousin's flight instructor, Ben Catlin, a
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
veteran, of her desire that same day. She soloed after six hours of formal instruction. Barnes ran an ad-hoc
barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
show and competed in air races. Despite a crash in the 1929
Women's Air Derby The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby, the name by which the race is most common ...
, she returned in 1930 under the sponsorship of the Union Oil Company to win the race – and break Amelia Earhart's world women's speed record with a speed of . Barnes broke this record in a
Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship The Type R "Mystery Ships" were a series of wire-braced, low-wing racing airplanes built by the Travel Air company in the late 1920s and early 1930s. They were so called because the first two aircraft of the series (''R614K'', ''R613K'', together ...
. After her contract with Union Oil expired, Barnes moved to Hollywood to work as a stunt pilot for movies. In 1931, she started the
Associated Motion Picture Pilots Associated Motion Picture Pilots (AMPP) was a union of aviators who worked as stunt pilots in the Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood film industry. The group, one of the first unions in film work, was organized by Pancho Barnes in 1931Kelly, 200 ...
, a union of film industry stunt fliers which promoted flying safety and standardized pay for aerial stunt work. She flew in several air-adventure movies of the 1930s, including Howard Hughes' '' Hell's Angels'' (1930). Barnes had extensive connections in Hollywood. Her early close friend
George Hurrell George Edward Hurrell (June 1, 1904 – May 17, 1992) was a photographer who contributed to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life Born in the Walnut Hills district of Cincinnati, Ohio, Hurrell ori ...
(1904–1992), then eking out a living as a painter and photographer in Laguna Beach, California, would later become the head of the portrait department of
MGM Studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro ...
. Barnes is credited with helping Hurrell start his career in Hollywood after he took the photo she was to use on her pilot's license, introducing him to her Hollywood friends. Postrel, Virginia
"Starlight and Shadow. George Hurrell's brilliantly orchestrated photographs helped define Hollywood glamour in the 1930s."
''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'', July 1, 2007. Retrieved: December 25, 2010.
In a short period of time, Hurrell became the most in-demand photographer in Hollywood. Barnes lost most of her money in the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. By 1935, she had only her apartment in Hollywood left. She sold it, and in March 1935 bought of land in the Mojave Desert, near the Rogers dry lake bed and the nascent Muroc Field, then called March Field because it was an adjunct property of March Army Air Base at that time.


The Happy Bottom Riding Club

On her land, Pancho Barnes built the
Happy Bottom Riding Club The Happy Bottom Riding Club (1935–1953), was a dude ranch, restaurant, and hotel operated by aviator Pancho Barnes, Florence "Pancho" Barnes near Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley of California's Mojave Desert. Barnes and her clu ...
, also known as the Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch, a
dude ranch A guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agrotourism. History Guest ranches arose in response to the romanticization of the American West that began to occur ...
and restaurant which catered to airmen at the nearby airfield and her friends from Hollywood. Barnes became very close friends with many of the early test pilots, including
Chuck Yeager Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( , February 13, 1923December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in his ...
, Robert Anderson "Bob" Hoover, Walt Williams, Jack Ridley, General
Jimmy Doolittle James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his raid on Japan during World War II, known as the Doolittle Raid in his honor. He ma ...
,
Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( ; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three extravehicular activity, spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eag ...
,
North American Aviation North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F- ...
flight test mechanic Bob Cadick, and flight test supervisor Roy Ferren. Barnes' ranch became famous for the parties and high-flying lifestyle of all the guests. After successful flight trials, the Muroc and Edwards
test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
s often enjoyed some good times at the Happy Bottom Riding Club. As proprietor, Barnes would offer them a customary free
steak A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce. Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...
dinner for breaking the
sound barrier The sound barrier or sonic barrier is the large increase in aerodynamic drag and other undesirable effects experienced by an aircraft or other object when it approaches the speed of sound. When aircraft first approached the speed of sound, th ...
. A change of command in 1952, however, contributed to Barnes getting into a conflict with the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
(USAF). The USAF was planning for the future of aviation, and decided it needed to build a new, super-long runway to accommodate new aircraft that were being planned to run on atomic power. That new runway would run directly across her ranch. The USAF originally offered her a price for her ranch, land, and facilities that was very close to the cost of undeveloped desert land. She requested a fair appraisal to better reflect the actual cost of replacement of her land and business, but in the midst of getting a re-appraisal, the base leadership accused her of running a house of ill-repute on her ranch. The effect of even the hint of impropriety resulted in her ranch and business being put off-limits to military personnel, and the value of her business plummeted. Barnes then filed a lawsuit against the USAF to, as she put it, "Roust out the scoundrels in the government who would perpetrate such an injustice." She knew that if she filed a lawsuit, she would have the opportunity to depose under oath the various leaders and personnel on base, and the truth would come out and clear her name. During the height of the intense court battle, in 1953, her ranch burned in a fire of mysterious origin. After the fire, the value of her ranch and business further plummeted to a level more closely reflecting the original buy-out offer from the USAF. Nonetheless, the court battle continued. Barnes was determined to receive fair value for her land and business, and to clear her name. A main contention of her case was: "My grandfather founded the United States Air Force." On that argument, the court found in her favor and she was awarded $375,000 remuneration for her property and business. Also, her name was cleared. As it turned out, the proposed runway was never built. After the government bought her out, she moved to
Cantil, California Cantil (Spanish for "Stone Cliff") is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is in the Fremont Valley of the western Mojave Desert. Geography It is located on California State Route 14, between Mojave and Red Rock Canyon. ...
, in hopes of restarting a similar dude ranch business there. It never happened. It was not until the late 1960s that Barnes once again became a commonplace figure at the base and began to be referred to as the "Mother of Edwards AFB." The wounds began to heal as Barnes reconnected with many old-timers. The officer's mess at Edwards was renamed the Pancho Barnes Room.


Death

Barnes suffered from breast cancer, likely the ultimate cause of her death. She was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Antelope Valley Aero Museum's annual "Barnstormers Reunion" on April 5, 1975. However, when a friend called on March 30, 1975, she could not reach her. Her son Bill found her dead in her home, and the coroner determined that she had died nearly a week earlier. Bill obtained special permission, which was granted from the United States Air Force, to spread her ashes over the site of the Happy Bottom Riding Club. He then flew an aircraft over the site, but a crosswind came up, sweeping the ashes back into the small Cessna aircraft, to be carried aloft again. "Even in death Barnes still loved a good joy ride."


Legacy

Her fourth husband, Eugene "Mac" McKendry, continued to live in Cantil and survived Barnes for many years. Son Bill Barnes died piloting a
North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...
flying near Fox Field in Lancaster on October 4th, 1980 along with aviation mechanic Clifton Hellwig. In 1940, she had founded Barnes Aviation of
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
, which Bill operated in his adult years. It remains in the general aviation business today. Her life and personality were portrayed in the 1983 epic film '' The Right Stuff'', adapted from
Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...
's bestselling 1979 book of the same name.
Kim Stanley Kim Stanley (born Patricia Kimberley Reid; February 11, 1925 – August 20, 2001) was an American actress who was primarily active in television and theatre but also had occasional film performances. She began her acting career in theatre a ...
played her. She was also the subject of a heavily fictionalized 1988 TV film, ''
Pancho Barnes Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes (July 22, 1901 – March 30, 1975) was a pioneer aviator and a founder of the first movie stunt pilots' union. In 1930, she broke Amelia Earhart's air speed record. Barnes raced in the Women's Air Derby and was a m ...
'', written by
John Michael Hayes John Michael Hayes (11 May 1919 – 19 November 2008) was an American screenwriter, who wrote four of Alfred Hitchcock's films in the 1950s. Early life and education Hayes was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to John Michael Hayes Sr. and Ellen M ...
, directed by Richard Heffron, and starring
Valerie Bertinelli Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born April 23, 1960) is an American actress and television personality. She began acting as a child actor, child and made her screen debut in a 1974 episode of Apple's Way, ''Apple's Way''. She gained wide recognition f ...
. The first biography about Barnes was published in 1986, ''The Lady Who Tamed Pegasus: The Story of Pancho Barnes'', written by Grover Ted Tate, who relied heavily upon the copyrighted autobiographical materials of Pancho Barnes. In 1996, a second biography appeared, ''Pancho: The Biography of Florence Lowe Barnes'', written by Barbara Schultz. A third biography appeared in 2000, written by
Lauren Kessler Lauren Kessler is an American author, and immersion journalist who specializes in narrative nonfiction. She teaches storytelling for social change at the University of Washington and for the Forum of Journalism and Media in Vienna. Biography L ...
, ''The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes''.
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
sponsored a documentary film, '' The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club'', completed in 2009. In it,
Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...
provides the voice of Barnes. The documentary was made independently of the estate of Barnes. However, the estate gave the film makers full access to her personal papers and photographs as well as her copyrighted autobiography that are owned by the estate. The film, which chronicles Barnes' life story, was produced and written by Nick T. Spark and directed by Amanda Pope in affiliation with
KOCE-TV KOCE-TV (channel 50) is a PBS member television station licensed to Huntington Beach, California, United States, serving the Los Angeles area. It is owned by the Public Media Group of Southern California alongside the market's secondary PBS memb ...
, a PBS station in Orange County, California. The documentary won an Emmy for best arts and history documentary. Barnes' '' Mystery Ship'' #32 was for a long time located in a hangar at Mojave Airport. It was sold to a private collector a number of years ago, and is currently in the United Kingdom, where it has been restored. The Happy Bottom Riding Club historical site is the location for the annual USAF Test Pilot School/Edwards Air Force Base Pancho Barnes Day celebration (established in 1980). A barbecue is held and drinks are served, along with dancing and live music in remembrance of this aviation pioneer and friend. Family hour extends until approximately 9 pm, after which it is an adults-only party, perhaps in remembrance of the raucous old days of Happy Bottom Riding Club. Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Flying Club are visited by a young
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome (writer), John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and f ...
in the comic series '' DC: The New Frontier''. In the 2019 film '' Captain Marvel'', Captain Marvel’s fighter pilot bar is called Pancho’s Bar, which is a reference to Barnes’s nickname “Pancho”.


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* *


External links


Website for the Estate of Pancho Barnes

Website of the documentary film, ''The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club''

Pancho's story on Chuck Yeager's personal site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Pancho 1901 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American women American aviation record holders American women aviation record holders Aviators from California Barnstormers Edwards Air Force Base Flight speed record holders People from Kern County, California People from Pasadena, California People from the San Gabriel Valley Stunt pilots Women trade union leaders The Bishop's School alumni