“As I sat in the cockpit I felt quite at home, fear never entered my head and when I saw the earth recede as the winged monster roared and soared skyward, and the familiar scenes below became a vast panorama of checker- boarded fields, neatly arranged toy houses, and silvery

Miss flying? If you can’t take to the skies for real, try the next best thing! Here’s a fun little How To Fly film from 1934, featuring a Command-Aire 5C3. The explanations and instructions are pretty solid, but there are a few questionable moments – a solo parachute jump on

What a lineup! The Powder Puff Derby at Long Beach, California circa 1930-31. Can you spot legendary aviatrix Pancho Barnes? At the archives in Kelch Aviation Museum, we have a copy of Pancho’s logbook! Looking through it is like looking over her shoulder. Consider donating to our archive fund to

Feeling a bit cooped up inside? Watch this promo video for American Airlines from 1933 and satisfy your airline travel blues! Kelch Aviation Museum is still working hard – from home. Times are tough but we are committed to sharing the joy and magic of flight with the world. Donate

Sundays (and quarantines) are great for building model airplanes! Here’s a lovely piece of cover art from the Junior Mechanics & Model Airplane News. Who here made models as a kid – and who here still makes them? We’d love to see – feel free to comment with photos! At

“Women Come and Help!” Anonymous artist, 1917. The 1910s, 20s, and 30s were the golden age of posters, and so many of them feature aviation! Here’s a poster from the UK, recruiting women for manufacturing jobs in the aviation industry during WWI. March is Women’s History Month! We’re celebrating the

Those daring aviatrices! A news article from the Times Dispatch, November 1st 1914. Would women make up the next flying corps? The article mentions record-setting lady pilot Helene Dutrieu, who we featured yesterday: “One of the most daring of women aviators is Mademoiselle Helene Dutrieu of France. She was the

Throwback Thursday, aviatrix edition! Here’s a photo of Belgian pilot Hélène Dutrieu, the “Girl Hawk”. In 1910 she reputedly became the first woman pilot to fly with a passenger. In 1911, she was the only woman in a field of 15 pilots competing for the King’s Cup air race, which

Here’s a wonderful bit of film footage of the first all-women’s flying meet in Northampton, England! I love the candid shot of the pilots hand-propping – a familiar sight at Brodhead, but I haven’t seen anyone in outfits that spiffy. March is Women’s History Month! This footage features many famous

It may be Monday, and the world may be kinda crazy, but there are *always* other pilots’ mistakes to laugh about! And laughter is the best medicine, right? Hang in there, fellow aviation fans! What projects (or failed projects…) are you working on at home these days?