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Performer brings Kansas aviatrix to life
Mixing humor and drama with historical facts, Bonnie Johnson brought Kansas aviatrix Louise Thaden to life during Wednesday evening's meeting of the Historical Preservation Association of Bourbon County.
Johnson, a historical performer and scholar from Clay Center, entertained and educated attendees of the meeting during her performance titled "Jenny's to Jets," which took place at the Old Congregational Church.
Thaden, who competed in numerous air races throughout the 1920s and 30s, once flew a "Jenny," the name given to a Curtiss JN-4, a biplane flown during World War I and was later popular for barnstorming. The presentation was aimed at showing Thaden as she reminisced about her flying career from 1927 to 1958.
Thaden once won three consecutive races in the 1930s.
"She was quite the aviator in Kansas," HPA member Arnold Schofield said.
Placing herself in the persona of Thaden, Johnson was often animated as she talked about Thaden's experiences in becoming the first pilot to hold the women's altitude, endurance and speed world records in light planes simultaneously.
In December 1928, she set the women's altitude record with a mark of 20,260 feet.
"It was December so it was cold at that altitude," Johnson said. "I was all bundled up. I wore my leather pants, jacket and gloves. Above 15,000 feet, it gets pretty cold."
Johnson, who learned to fly in Oakland, Calif., said Thaden took off from Oakland field and as she flew higher, "the moisture from my mask collected and started to freeze."
Johnson said at one point during the flight, she "must have passed out."
"I took the mask off, got the plane back in control and landed in the field," she said, adding this is when Thaden discovered she had set the altitude record.
In March 1929, once again clad in her leather outfit and jug of coffee in tow, she attempted her second record, this time for endurance. Johnson said Thaden's plane was modified for the flight to hold an extra fuel tank.
Johnson recounted Thaden's experiences setting this record. She said Thaden took off on three separate occasions, but the airplane and the plane's engine remained quiet each time. After each landing, the plane was inspected and it was suspected something was wrong with the engine, but the problem could not be found.
Then, some time later, the problem was found to be a simple and common one.
"We wasted two weeks on a plugged fuel vent," Johnson said.
Thaden ultimately set the women's endurance record with a flight of 22 hours, three minutes, 12 seconds.
Then, in May 1929, it was time to attempt to set the women's record for speed.
Johnson said Thaden hit 2,000 feet, went into a shallow dive and leveled off at 700 feet. She did this four times, landing each time, and was told she was clocked at 156 mph.
"I was the fastest woman on the planet," Johnson said. "I held all three women's international records."
Now, Johnson said, was time for Thaden to obtain her airline transport pilot's license.
"I would be the fourth woman to get the license if I passed," Johnson said. "It was four guys and me."
Johnson said for the test, Thaden had to know all about winds and all the rules of flying.
"I passed," Johnson said.
Thaden also passed the flight test with the instructor, Johnson said, and "went hopping and skipping across the tarmac."
In the summer of 1929, Thaden competed in an all-women's transcontinental air race that included famed aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart, and other well-known female pilots, Johnson said.
Thaden, a contemporary, competitor and friend of Earhart, helped secure aviation prominence in Kansas.
Thaden earned her pilot's certificate in 1927. She was the first female pilot to be licensed by the state of Ohio. She rapidly became a major figure in the aviation world and set many world performance records and won many major flying events.
For her achievements as an aviator, Thaden won aviation's highest honor given to women, the Harmon Trophy.
Johnson, who is also a pilot, has competed in 15 Air Race Classics, placing in the top 10 among the contestants four times and was an aeronautical engineer. She now teaches high school and college mathematics. She worked for more than 10 years in the aviation industry at Boeing and Cessna. She also worked as the aerodynamic laboratories director for Wichita State University before going into teaching.
Johnson learned about Thaden from racing in the Air Race Classic.
"Louise won the 1929 Power Puff Derby and the 1936 Bendix," Johnson said. "She was also very much a part of promoting Travel Air and Beechcraft for Walter and Olive Ann Beech as their demo pilot in the 1920s and 1930s. The Power Puff Derby continues today as the Air Race Classic."
Johnson has been portraying Thaden for about five years. Johnson has also portrayed Katharine Wright, the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright who was the business brains behind the Wright Brothers successes.
Johnson and Irene Nielsen comprise the team of character performances that make up Designing Excellence LLC, which seeks to give authentic, historical first-person performances.