Blanche Noyes
She raced across the sky in the first women's air derby and later fought forest fires from the cockpit as an aerial fire patrol pilot.
1900–1981 (age 81)·American aviator·Birthday: June 23·The Lost Generation
Biography
Blanche Noyes didn't just learn to fly; she used aviation to shatter expectations for women in the early 20th century. After becoming Ohio's first licensed female pilot in 1929, she immediately entered the public eye by competing in the first Women's Air Derby, a transcontinental race that proved women's endurance and skill. Her career took a vital turn during World War II when she joined the Civil Air Patrol, but her most lasting impact came afterward. For over two decades, she piloted for the U.S. Forest Service, pioneering aerial fire patrols over the dense woodlands of the Pacific Northwest. Flying countless hours, she spotted the first wisp of smoke from countless blazes, directing ground crews and saving vast tracts of wilderness. Her life in the cockpit moved from spectacle to essential public service, cementing her legacy as a flier who truly mattered.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Blanche was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Blanche Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Blanche's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 80
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1981Died at 81
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
Key Achievements
- Competed in the 1929 Women's Air Derby, the first transcontinental air race for female pilots.
- Served as an aerial fire patrol pilot for the U.S. Forest Service for more than twenty years.
- Was among the first ten women in the United States to earn a transport pilot's license.
Did You Know?
She won her first airplane, a Curtiss Robin, in a newspaper slogan contest.
Her husband, Dewey Noyes, was also a pilot and her early instructor.
She worked as a test pilot for aircraft manufacturer Consolidated Aircraft during WWII.
“I flew the mail routes to prove a woman could do the job.”
