POWDER PUFF DERBY contestants Mrs. Hazel Sigafoose of Montezuma, at right, and Mrs. Phyllis Barber of Marion are pictured by the Cessna 206 Super Skywagon they piloted in the July 2-5, 1966 all-women’s transcontinental air race.
Mrs. Barber had a commercial pilot rating and Mrs. Sigafoose had commercial and instructor’s ratings. In keeping with a tradition the co-pilots wore matching apparel. They were the only Iowa representatives among the 82 teams that raced 2,765 miles – from Seattle, Washington, to Clearwater, Florida.
The Derby is in large measure a test of flying skill, as the pilots seek out the best altitudes to take advantage of air currents, try to find the most direct route, and plan their stops properly. Their six-seat airplane had a published air speed of about 170 mph. They were allowed to stay in the air a maximum of five hours at a time, and they had a minimum of four stops they were required to make. Their stops included Boise, ID, Cheyenne, WY, Kansas City, Chattanooga, TN, Augusta, GA and Clearwater. As stated in The Montezuma Republican, “It was another first for Montezuma’s leading lady pilot.”
Photo by Roger Allen