In the sweltering summer of 1929, twenty determined women took to the skies in the first women’s transcontinental air race, flying from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio. Newspapers called it a “powder puff derby,” but for the pilots—among them Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, Pancho Barnes, Mary Wiggins, Thea Rasche, and other trailblazers—it was nothing short of a high-stakes test of skill, courage, and endurance.
The journey was grueling, marked by mechanical failures, sabotage rumors, and relentless media scrutiny. Only fourteen of the original twenty competitors reached Cleveland. The women were controversial figures—defying social norms, challenging the belief that flying was a “man’s domain,” and facing ridicule from those who claimed the race was dangerous and inappropriate for “the weaker sex.”
This pivotal event became the catalyst for the founding of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots that remains active today. Their camaraderie and advocacy would inspire the next generation of female aviators and directly contribute to the creation of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II.
Sky Queens will weave together the drama of the race with the larger story of the Ninety-Nines, capturing both the thrill of aviation’s golden age and the societal barriers these women smashed through on their way to history.
