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She begain co-piloting a Bach tri-motored transport plane owned by the West Coast Air
Transport corporation. This made her the first female pilot to fly regularly for a commercial airline. After the company was bought by Western Air Express she flew Bach, Fokker, and Ford tri-motors until West Coast Air Transport was bought by United.
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After 110 minutes' training, Foltz flew solo. She "overshot her first attempt at landing, undershot the second, but set in a perfect landing the third try." After 200 hours of practice, Foltz became the first woman in Oregon – and the fifth in the United States – with a transport pilot's license.
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Foltz designed and marketed a multipurpose flying and casual suit for women, called the Folzup. It consisted of "riding trousers with a skirt that can be opened from hem to waistline on both sides, lifted and buttoned at the shoulder to make a jumper." Foltz modeled the suit herself in air races
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checkpoint, became lost, and eventually landed in a farmer's field, rolling almost up to his front door. Once the man got over his initial surprise, he invited her in for dinner. "I should have gone back ," Foltz said, "but the farmer said dinner was just ready and there was fried chicken. I
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After four weeks of this, the pilot said to me, "I believe you could learn to fly." I laughed and said, "Never," for I didn’t want the fliers making fun of me: I had heard about fliers laughing at the girls who were trying to learn to fly at this time. He insisted, so the next day as we were
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plane: she had wanted to use the money for new furniture. But after the plane's propeller broke, Foltz volunteered to take a new one out to the barnstorming circuit. She wound up staying to act as an usher and sell tickets. In 1931, Foltz explained to
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224:, Foltz co-founded the Portland chapter of the Women's National Aeronautic Association. She served on the board of directors and was chairman of the junior division. In 1931, she was named governor of Oregon's chapter of the
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stayed and went on to
Cleveland." Though the detour caused some controversy, Foltz was ultimately awarded second place and $ 700 prize money. Foltz continued to place high in air derbies for the next three years.
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On August 23, Foltz's landing gear was damaged. Foltz told reporters in
Midland, Texas that she suspected her gear had been sabotaged. Foltz pointed to the damage of Claire Fahy's plane and the fire in
280:, where she rose to the rank of first officer. She served in Europe for three and a half years. During that time, she met several of the pilots she had trained back in the United States.
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because the
British men she worked with judged her by her skills and not her gender. She declared that "the English treated us with the utmost courtesy and consideration".
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to enter the Powder Puff Derby. She and her co-pilot, Joy
Callahan, had dropped out by the first day of the race, but continued on the route, "flying along for fun."
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Foltz and her co-pilot, Pauline
Glasson, came in fifth at the Transcontinental All-Women's Air Race in 1953. In 1954, she was one of three women from
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and became the first woman nationwide to serve as a state governor in the NAA. Foltz was also president of the
Pacific Northwest chapter of the
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By 1939, Foltz had married Harry
Stearns. That year, the couple bought Oregon Airways, a small airline with routes across western
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waiting for passengers to arrive he suggested that I get in the pilot cockpit and he in the front and for me to fly the ship.
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248:. The airline was suspended during the war, and Foltz seems to have had no involvement with it after 1946. A 1946
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Jones, Webster A. (March 8, 1931). "Accident Turns Edith Foltz From Career As Singer To
Remarkable Flying Record".
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200:'s plane as other examples of possible sabotage, saying she suspected the husband of one of the derby entrants.
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buzz bomb and almost shot down by friendly fire. For her service to
England, Foltz was awarded the
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pilot and had to dive into a cloud to lose him. On another occasion, she was mistaken for an
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Jones, Catherine (December 31, 1931). "Portland Aviatrix Devises Sports Suit For Dual Role".
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flight simulators. She continued to teach at the Naval base until the year of her death.
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126:. She had one brother, Cyrus Magalis. As a young woman, she studied to become a singer.
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322:. By 1947, she had grown bored with the work and returned to flying, moving back to
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Richards, Leverett G. (April 28, 1946). "Birdwoman Finally Comes Down to Earth".
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Jones, Webster A. (May 11, 1930). "Edith Foltz Seeks To Bring Race Here".
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Her first husband was Joseph Rathelle Foltz Jr., a celery farmer from
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Recipients of the King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom
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264:, Foltz was a flight instructor at the Multnomah Flying Club on
192:, with a $ 25,000 cash prize. The pilots set out on August 18.
138:. They had two children, one of whom died shortly after birth.
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After the war ended, Foltz became a real estate saleswoman in
465:"It's Hard to Quit: Mrs. Grissom Will Teach Girls To Fly"
341:. His last name was Grissom: his first name is unknown.
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Foltz later became a primary flight instructor at the
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After a brief illness, Foltz died on June 27, 1956.
98:(1902–1956) was the first female transport pilot in
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53:
30:
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252:article listed Stearns as Foltz's 'late husband.'
308:King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom
240:Airline management and marriage to Harry Stearns
112:King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom
522:"Edith Foltz Stearns Dies, Pioneer Woman Pilot"
81:Joseph Rathelle Foltz, Harold Dickinson Stearns
639:"Three Entrants In Aerial Derby Meet Bad Luck"
8:
795:"Local Women Fifth in Transcontinental Race"
348:. She then taught instrument flying, using
728:"Be Certain to See the New "Folzup" Suit".
326:to teach at the Irwin School of Flight in
151:Foltz was upset when her husband bought a
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821:"Corpus Christi Women Pilots in Air Race"
333:On April 26, 1947, Foltz was married in
180:In 1929, Foltz entered the first annual
106:. For her work as a transport pilot in
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122:Edith Foltz was born Edith Magalis in
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283:Foltz stated that she preferred the
64:Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
847:"Four Powder Puff Planes Land Here"
287:to American organizations like the
96:Edith Magalis Foltz Stearns Grissom
25:Edith Magalis Foltz Stearns Grissom
914:American women commercial aviators
337:. Her husband was a rancher from
314:Post-war career and third marriage
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939:American women flight instructors
433:Oregon Aviation Museum Newsletter
268:. In 1941, she was recruited by
959:American women fashion designers
493:"Famous Oregon Woman Pilot Dies"
346:Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
469:The Corpus Christi Caller-Times
426:"Edith Foltz Stearns (Part II)"
226:National Aeronautic Association
147:Training and commercial flights
104:National Aeronautic Association
924:Air Transport Auxiliary pilots
909:American women in World War II
755:. December 29, 1939. p. 9
424:Villani, William (July 1995).
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779:"Woman Pilot Dies In Texas".
289:Women Airforce Service Pilots
919:American commercial aviators
674:. August 23, 1929. p. 1
463:Hager, Hoyt (May 14, 1947).
48:Dallas, Texas, United States
944:American flight instructors
825:Corpus Christi Caller-Times
799:Corpus Christi Caller-Times
653:– via newspapers.com.
536:– via newspapers.com.
507:– via newspapers.com.
478:– via newspapers.com.
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949:American fashion designers
929:Businesspeople from Dallas
801:. July 9, 1953. p. 19
853:. July 4, 1954. p. 2
827:. July 3, 1954. p. 3
594:"Women Fliers Organize".
668:"Charges sabotage foltz"
298:, Foltz was chased by a
186:Santa Monica, California
130:Marriage to Joseph Foltz
296:Air Transport Auxiliary
294:During her time in the
285:Air Transport Auxiliary
274:Air Transport Auxiliary
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749:"Stearns buys Or air"
612:Jessen, Nora (1999).
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879:Aviators from Oregon
672:El Paso Evening Post
934:American air racers
889:Aviators from Texas
851:Albuquerque Journal
753:The Capital Journal
218:Edna Christofferson
203:Foltz overshot the
162:what happened next:
110:, she received the
598:. August 14, 1930.
526:Arizona Daily Star
497:La Grande Observer
270:Jacqueline Cochran
236:and sports shops.
212:Promoting aviation
645:. August 23, 1929
182:Women's Air Derby
136:Milwaukie, Oregon
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614:"1929 Air Race"
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262:World War II
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59:(1956-06-27)
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899:1956 deaths
894:1902 births
266:Swan Island
216:Along with
176:Air derbies
873:Categories
366:References
205:Cincinnati
118:Early life
70:Occupation
41:1902-08-17
857:April 14,
831:April 14,
805:April 14,
759:April 14,
678:April 14,
649:March 15,
623:March 15,
532:March 15,
503:March 15,
474:March 15,
250:Oregonian
78:Spouse(s)
86:Children
335:Houston
260:During
246:Oregon
100:Oregon
429:(PDF)
324:Texas
73:Pilot
859:2019
833:2019
807:2019
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476:2019
439:: 4.
304:Axis
300:Nazi
220:and
54:Died
31:Born
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