Flying Grandmothers and Fearless Aviators Take to the Skies for the Seventh Annual All Women New England Air Race at Norwood Airport-October 9, 1967

Neither the Red Baron nor Snoopy would have stood a chance at qualifying for the high-stakes aerial competition held at Norwood Airport on Saturday. But the wives of those famous comic strip characters certainly would have fit right in.

The airfield played host to the seventh annual All Women New England Air Race, a premier cross-country proficiency test featuring 25 airplanes piloted entirely by women. Ranging in age from 19 to 68, the 48 competing pilots and co-pilots traveled from across New England, New York, and New Jersey. The diverse roster included five grandmothers, 14 mothers, 12 commercial pilots, two holders of seaplane ratings, and two aviators flying solo.

Despite their varied professional and personal backgrounds, the contestants shared a singular passion: a profound love of flying. When asked why they took to the skies, most offered simple, joyful explanations: “It’s fun,” or “I find it fascinating.” All noted that they began their aviation journeys with the full knowledge and support of their husbands.

Organized by the Ninety-Nines—an international organization of women pilots boasting 95 members in its New England chapter—the event stands as the region’s largest cross-country proficiency test. Entrants grew impressively from 15 planes last year to 25 this year. Scoring was based strictly on fuel consumption, speed, and overall flight proficiency.

Connecticut Aviators Take the Crown

For the second consecutive year, the championship trophy went to a Connecticut crew: pilot Margaret Davidson and co-pilot Evelyn Murch.

Flying a Cessna 205, the winning duo completed the grueling cross-country course in just two hours and nine minutes, achieving a near-flawless score of 99.69 out of 100.

The course required competitors to take off from Norwood Airport at 10:00 a.m., pass precisely 200 feet above checkpoints at airport runways in Jaffrey, N.H.; West Adams; Burlington, Conn.; and Westerly, R.I., before returning triumphantly to Norwood.

Additional trophy winners rounding out the top finishers included:

• Trina Jarish
• Georgia Pappas of Arlington and co-pilot
• Virginia Bonesteel of Bedford
• Hope Riehle of Burlington, Vt., and co-pilot Dawn Hazelett of Winooski, Vt.
• Terry Goreham of Lynn and co-pilot Joan Pinkham of Topsfield

Norwood Represented in the Cockpit

Norwood was proudly represented in the race by local resident Mrs. Landon Young of 12 Greenwich Road, who served as pilot alongside her co-pilot and friend, Miss Margaret Lamb of 19 Appleby Road, Wellesley.

Mrs. Young, a mother of one and a flight instructor for Wiggins Airways in Norwood, had been flying for three years. Her co-pilot, Miss Lamb, worked as an attorney and served as a hearings officer for the State.

Reflecting on how she got her start in aviation, Mrs. Young explained that she began taking flying lessons “simply because I had the time.” As for her husband, George, she joked, “He’s a smart man. He knows a busy wife is a happy wife.”

Louise Sacchi’s Inspiring Keynote

The highlight of the post-race awards dinner held at Norwood was an address by veteran guest speaker and ferry pilot Louise Sacchi.

A pilot since 1939, a former navigation instructor for the British Royal Air Force, and a legendary figure who had flown across the Atlantic Ocean 85 times delivering aircraft from factories to international destinations, Sacchi delivered an empowering message regarding women in aviation.

When asked whether women make better pilots than men, she smiled and answered, “Of course they are. A woman who wants to fly has got to want to very, very much. So she works harder and therefore she becomes a better pilot. Men could be as good,” she added with a grin, “if they tried as hard.”

Looking toward the future of commercial aviation, Sacchi predicted it would be “another generation before there are female pilots with the airlines,” noting that while female aviators were rare in England, France, and Italy, Russia boasted a great many. She also lamented how modern commercialization had altered aviation culture: “They are not as much fun as they used to be. They’ve become too commercial.”

The successful regional race was co-sponsored by the Norwood Selectmen, the Norwood Chamber of Commerce, the Norwood Airport Commission, and Wiggins Airways, whose president, Joseph Garside, personally presented the trophies to the victorious pilots.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger