Pancho Barnes

This page is under construction! This page may not be completed and may only display partially correct information. Please use the discussion page before making any changes. Last updated on 01 05 2014.

TV Movie (1988)

Starring:
Valerie Bertinelli (Pancho Barnes)

Florence "Pancho" Barnes was one of the most important women in 20th Century aviation. A tough and fearless aviatrix, Pancho was a rival of Amelia Earhart's who made a name for herself as Hollywood's first female stunt pilot. Just before WWII she opened a ranch near Edwards Air Force Base that became a famous, some would say notorious, hangout for test pilots and movie stars. Known as the "Happy Bottom Riding Club", it became the epicenter of the aviation world during the early jet age.

Chuck Yeager celebrated breaking the sound barrier there in 1947, and Howard Hughes and Jimmy Doolittle caroused in the bar. The Club's destruction by fire in 1953 is seen by many to mark the end of a Golden Era in post-WWII aviation. In the same fashion Pancho herself has become something of a legend, a fascinating yet enigmatic icon whose swagger is often celebrated, but whose story has been largely unknown.

Waco ATO c/n 97 from 1929

Back To:

• Movie/TV List
  
• Top

See also

• Pancho Barnes at IMDB