Category Archives: aviation history

Beryl Markham

On September 4, 1936, Beryl Markham became the first person the fly solo from England to North America across the Atlantic Ocean making her the first woman to fly solo from east to west (the difficult direction) across the Atlantic Ocean. Her book West with the Night details her incredible life growing up in Kenya. One of the first African bush pilots.

Hemingway said Markham “has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer.” She also has a mention in the Aerial Nurse Corps of America as a pioneer.

Aerial Nurse Corps’ Inaugural Post day

1936 National Air Races: Aerial Nurse Corps’ inaugural post, first women to win the Bendix Race, stunt pilots, and a crash at the end. Pages 39-48 in the book explain this race in detail. It was a huge event of parades with 30 floats from downtown Los Angeles 30 miles to the Airport with squadrons of military planes flying overhead. I can’t image an event like that today.