Pancho Barnes Death
Since her death pancho barnes has grown to cult status.
Pancho barnes death. As the granddaughter of thaddeus lowe who had. Florence gained the moniker pancho a conflation of the name of cervantes character sancho panza during an improbable stint as a gun runner for mexican revolutionaries. Lowe a balloonist and inventor who had pioneered american military aviation with the army of the potomac s balloon corps during the american civil war. In 1930 she broke amelia earhart s air speed record.
As it is cornelia plunged to her death in the west texas desert in the wreckage of a bt 13. Pancho barnes lived her life throttle to the firewall and wouldn t have it any other way. She was born into wealth but couldn t stand the obligations living in high society demanded. On july 22 1901 florence leontine lowe was born to florence mae dobbins and thaddeus lowe jr the son of thaddeus s c.
Pancho barnes was a force of nature and she didn t do anything in a predictable way. Florence lowe pancho barnes july 22 1901 march 30 1975 was a pioneer aviator and a founder of the first movie stunt pilots union. Her first marriage was arranged but subsequent ones were based on passion. Pancho looked at it as a shot at independence rather than being tied down at least she could break free from her demanding mother.
In 1930 barnes broke amelia earhart s women s speed record in her mystery ship a travel air model r sponsored by the union oil company. Florence lowe was reared in an atmosphere of wealth and privilege on an estate in san marino california. Needless to say pancho was bored stiff being a preacher s wife. The door was closed on what surely would have been flying legends and adventures as iconic as the adventures of wiley post and pancho barnes.
Her friends mostly men included movie stars test pilots and anyone who. Boxed and stored in an abandoned railcar out in the mohave desert there the pancho barnes archive was to sit hidden in plain sight for 50 years. Thus pancho married reverend c. Rankin barnes in 1921 and they had a child together nine months later.
Tom wolfe depicted her in his 1983 novel the right stuff which would go on to the silver screen valerie bertinelli portrayed barnes in a. Pancho barnes aviator and movie stunt pilot one of the first american women to establish a reputation and a business in the field of aviation.