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Gene Nora Jessen
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Sky Girls: The True Story of the First Women's Cross-Country Air Race Kindle Edition

by Gene Nora Jessen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

"A beautiful and inspiring book...fascinatingly told." — Donna Shirley, former head of the U.S. Mars program, NASA

The exhilarating story of the first women who boldly conquered the skies in the first female cross-country air race

The year is 1929, and on the eve of America's Great Depression, nineteen gutsy and passionate pilots soared above the glass ceiling in the very first female cross-country air race. Armed with grit and determination, they crossed thousands of miles in propeller-driven airplanes to defy the naysayers who would say it cannot — not should not — be done.

From the indomitable Pancho Barnes to the infamous Amelia Earhart, Sky Girls chronicles a defining and previously forgotten moment when some of the first women pilots took their rightful place in the open skies. For a country on the brink of defining change, they would become symbols of hope, daring, and the unstoppable American spirit. And for generations to come, their actions would pave the way for others to step into the brave unknown and learn to fly...

Written by female pilot and member of the original Mercury 13 Gene Nora Jessen, Sky Girls celebrates the strength and smarts of these trailblazing women, and sits perfectly on the shelf next to The Radium Girls, Hidden Figures, or Code Girls.

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  1. Print length
    359 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sourcebooks
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    August 18, 2018
  6. File size
    8.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautiful and inspiring book . . . fascinatingly told." ― Donna Shirley, former head of the U.S. Mars program, NASA

"A fascinating history" ― Publishers Weekly

"This is not just an excellent story of female pilots at the beginning of the twentieth century, but a stirring history of the early years of aviation." ― Booklist

About the Author

Illinois native Gene Nora Jessen was introduced to flying as a cadet in the Chicago Civil Air Patrol. She was drawn to the University of Oklahoma's flight training program, became a flight instructor on the flight school faculty and finished working her way through college teaching flying. Along with 25 female pilots she was invited to participate in an astronaut research program about the time of the original Mercury astronauts in 1961. Along with 12 other candidates she passed the physical exams and they became called the Mercury 13, however further testing was canceled.

The stars were aligned in Gene Nora's favor and she was hired by Beech Aircraft Corp in Wichita for what she considered the dream job of all time. She became one of the "Three Musketeers" flying one of three airplanes in formation for three months across 48 states introducing the new Beech model. Continuing on at the Beech factory, she obtained further ratings and flew the entire Beech line. Gene Nora met her husband Bob at Beech and they soon migrated to Boise, ID to found a Beech dealership.

Gene Nora has remained active in aviation, serving on the Boise Airport Commission, installed in the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame, received the Mercury 13 NASA Award, Master Pilot Award, an Honorary PhD., and became an international President of The Ninety-Nines. She is the author of Three books―aviation, of course.

Gene Nora and Bob, who was a WWII B29 pilot, are the parents of two children and are now retired. Gene Nora has flown a dozen air races through the years and is still flying.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DKH9SSY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 18, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8.3 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 359 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492664482
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

About the author

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Gene Nora Jessen

Gene Nora Jessen

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While working her way through The University of Oklahoma on the faculty teaching flying, Gene Nora (pronounced Janora) participated in a female astronaut research program in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the summer of 1961. Though Gene Nora was among the thirteen women pilots (tagged the "Mercury 13") who passed the astronaut physical exams, further testing was canceled though five books were subsequently published about that little footnote in history.

Gene Nora served as President of The Ninety-Nines, Inc., an international organization of licensed women pilots, and involvement in the group's museum led to exhaustive research of the history of early women pilots. Her book "The Powder Puff Derby of 1929" was published in 2001, and whetted her appetite for her own transcontinental air racing.

In 1962 she flew as a sales demonstration pilot for the Beech Aircraft factory in Wichita, Kansas. Initially, she flew one of the Three Musketeers, flying formation across forty-eight states in ninety days as a promotional event to introduce the new Beech Musketeer. The job evolved into additional ratings and flying the entire Beech line and also her true adventure story "The Fabulous Flight of the Three Musketeers" published in 2009.

Gene Nora and her husband Bob live in Boise, Idaho where they owned and operated a fixed base operation on the Boise Airport for many years. They have two children and three grandchildren. Of course she continues to fly.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
40 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and informative, with one mentioning it's excellent reading for aviation enthusiasts.

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Entertainment valueInformation quality
5 customers mention "Entertainment value"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and enjoyable to read.

"...They were so diverse and interesting that those bios stood on their own. Then there was the race itself....incredible...." Read more

"...These early women flyers had lots of courage. And lots of fun!" Read more

"Another book to read" Read more

"Simple read. Very entertaining, but informative about women pilots. Extremely well-written!" Read more

5 customers mention "Information quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative, with one review noting how it provides backgrounds on the pilots and serves as excellent reading for aviation enthusiasts.

"Gene Nora did a fantastic job researching and writing about the first women's air race coast to coast...." Read more

"...all of that, becoming so familiar with each woman, the author provided the highlights (and lowlights) of how each pilot lived the rest of their..." Read more

"Simple read. Very entertaining, but informative about women pilots. Extremely well-written!" Read more

"Excellent reading for any aviation enthusiast..." Read more

Great Non-Fiction read
4 out of 5 stars
Great Non-Fiction read
In 1929 nineteen female pilots took to the skies for the first women's cross-country air race starting in Santa Monica, California and ending nine days later in Cleveland, Ohio. The pilots pushed on despite the race being riddled with accidents, delays, suspicion of sabotage and even loss of life. The women were met with press and thousands of curious onlookers at close to a dozen stops en route to the finish line. Some of the headlines and rhetoric written about these trailblazers are enough for modern day women to grit their teeth. Though each competitor was standout in their own right mostly the name Amelia Earhart will stand out for those not familiar with aviation's early celebrities. "Sky Girls" is filled with fantastic pictures and each chapter begins with a quote from Will Rogers pulled from his commentary on the race. The race itself takes up the majority of the book but for me the last section which gives space for readers to learn about the lives of each of the competitors was the most compelling. A great non-fiction read for anyone wanting to learn more about female contributions to American history.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • 99er
    5.0 out of 5 stars For 99s and other pilots this is a great book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Gene Nora did a fantastic job researching and writing about the first women's air race coast to coast. This is a must have book if you are as interested in women's racing as I am.
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  • Susan J. Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible window into women pilots' history!!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I LOVED this book! Certainly, with my knowing nothing about airplanes, some of the specifics of who flew what, was over my pay grade, but the rest of it, I was enthralled! The author, a pilot herself, gave backgrounds on these pilots that were entered in this 1929 race. They were so diverse and interesting that those bios stood on their own. Then there was the race itself....incredible. After reading all of that, becoming so familiar with each woman, the author provided the highlights (and lowlights) of how each pilot lived the rest of their lives.
    Absolutely fascinating!
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  • Marian Librarian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good true account of early women flyers who aren't well known.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    We gave this book to our granddaughter who flies planes. She liked it a lot. These early women flyers had lots of courage. And lots of fun!
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  • K.B.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive look at female aviators
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
    Format: Paperback
    I've been interested in the stories of female aviators for awhile now and have already read a few nonfiction and historical fiction books about the early days of aviation. Sky Girls, published in 2002 as The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race, is a pretty comprehensive look at the race and its participants.

    The book is certainly thorough with making sure each racer is covered throughout the book rather than just focusing in on a few. Even though I was familiar with some of the aviators beforehand, it was a little hard to keep track of everyone. I would have loved to have a cast of characters list at the beginning with a brief description of their background so I could flip back and forth when I couldn't remember who was who. However, I consider this only a slight problem because I would much rather have a well-researched book that goes into a lot of detail than a brief overview of the race.

    I would say about 2/3 of the book covers the race itself while the last 1/3 goes into detail about the lives of the aviators afterward. I came to really love the Will Rogers newspaper column snippets as it provided an interesting view from a spectator's perspective. In general, the author did a good job including background info about the social climate during that time period and other aviation historical facts both before and after the race. There are a good amount of photos included in the book although because I was reading an advance digital copy, the photos were grayed out and I was unable to view them. But given I saw all the spaces and captions designated for the pictures, I think most readers will be pleased at the amount.

    I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in aviation and/or nonfiction books about women doing extraordinary things. It was a fascinating read and I'm glad this part of history has been preserved for future generations.

    Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read a free advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading for any aviation enthusiast
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Well told flying stories recounting the pioneer aviatrixes of the time and the challenges faced by all during the early days of general aviation.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars books
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Another book to read
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  • Lauren Stoolfire
    3.0 out of 5 stars Reprint of the 2002 release The Powder Puff Derby of 1929
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018
    Format: Paperback
    The year is 1929, and on the eve of America's Great Depression, nineteen gutsy and passionate pilots soared above the glass ceiling in the very first female cross-country air race. Armed with grit and determination, they crossed thousands of miles in propeller-driven airplanes to defy the naysayers who would say it cannot - not should not - be done. From the indomitable Pancho Barnes to the infamous Amelia Earhart, Sky Girls chronicles a defining and previously forgotten moment when some of the first women pilots took their rightful place in the open skies. For a country on the brink of defining change, they would become symbols of hope, daring, and the unstoppable American spirit. And for generations to come, their actions would pave the way for others to step into the brave unknown and learn to fly.

    Sky Girls is a reprint of the 2002 release The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The First All Women's Transcontinental Air Race. Early aviation has always interested me, especially when it comes to women pioneers in the field. This history book is a decent entry to get you get interested in the topic. It covers the entire length of the race from California to Ohio and gives us a taste of the pilots involved including Amelia Earhart. Personally, I wish the author's narrative followed a few of the pilots more closely rather than jumping around between the entire group of racers involved. There are also a lot of photos and maps included (or at least there are supposed to be since the ARC mostly just had blank spaces representing where those are supposed to appear in the final copy which definitely made me feel a little out of the loop). Overall, my favorite aspect of this book is that at the end it features more in-depth profiles on all of the racers by concisely going beyond the narrow scope of the race. I also liked the fact that the author, a pilot herself, also goes a little further in the history of female aviation pioneers by touching on their involvement in WWII, commercial airlines, and space. By the way, she even features a profile of Jerrie Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1964 completing Amelia Earhart's goal. She was awarded the Federal Aviation Agency Gold Medal by President Johnson for her achievements. Even cooler yet, she was a local central Ohioan from Newark.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • SYBERDUST1
    5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, yet entertaining!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Simple read. Very entertaining, but informative about women pilots. Extremely well-written!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently told story of early aviation pioneers.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A well written account of the dangers and successes of early female aviation pioneers with a round up of those inspired to follow them.
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