Florence Leontine Lowe, a.k.a Pancho Barnes, granddaughter of Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, who had pioneered American aviation with the establishment of the Union Army Balloon Corps during the American Civil War. In 1930 under the sponsorship of the Union Oil Company, Florence won a race – and broke Amelia Earhart's world women's speed record with a speed of 196.19 mph (315.7 km/h). Barnes broke this record in a Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship. During the late 1940's and early 1950's,Pancho had an enormous influence in the social lives of American aviators such as Chuck Yeager (1st man to break the speed of sound barrier) and Buzz Aldrin (the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history) at her Happy Bottom Riding Club a dude ranch restaurant and hotel operated by Pancho Barnes on the site of current-day Edwards Air Force Base. (5 years and 2486 days ago)
GL! 
Good image. Dark areas of plane die against dark clouds.
Perhaps a little, look at the hi res. Thanks.
Fantastic image, author, love the dramatic lighting in the sky now, and the contrast of the primary colors. Great background story as well.
Pancho was quite a rebel in her day. Thanks Pearlie!
http://www.legendofpanchobarnes.com/film/index.php
There's a full length documentary I saw a while ago on Netflix, but forgot the title.
I saw it too, good stuff. If you remember the movie "The Right Stuff," Pancho's Happy Bottom Riding Club was an integral part of the story.
Great tribute to a great flyer Author!
There are several documentaries about this great aviator, I think the one you mentioned Bob is "The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club" (the same one shown in the link you provided). It's a great story very well done with Kathy Bates voicing the words of Pancho Barnes.
BTW the officers mess at Edwards AFB is named "The Pancho Barnes Room".
Appreciate you spaceranger.
The blacks in the background still kill the blacks on the plane, hi-res or not.
Nope check your monitor. "The blacks" on the airplane, you are referring too must be the shadows under the wings. What no comment about my shadows?
The blacks are shadows. The shadows are blacks. My monitor is calibrated just fine, thanks. The shadows on the plane and the shadows on the background clouds are the same value, and kill the illusion of depth in your image.
Obviously not good enough to keep this from making 3rd place and talent points. Thanks all.
Congrats Loyd!!
Congrats for 3rd!
Howdie stranger!
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