Pancho Barnes
Florence Lowe Barnes, born Florence Leontine Lowe but always known as Pancho Barnes (July 14, 1901 – March 30, 1975), was a pioneer of women's aviation and the owner of the infamous Happy Bottom Riding Club located on what is currently Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States.
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Early years
Born into a wealthy family in San Marino, California, Florence Lowe was reared to become a society lady. An adventurous streak had always been present in her family, and the young Florence learned the spectrum of hunting, fishing, and camping skills from her father. Another inspiration was her grandfather, Thaddeus Lowe, who had pioneered American aviation with the establishment of the first balloon corps for the Union Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War. However, her upper-class upbringing led to a 1919 marriage to Reverend C. Rankin Barnes, with whom she had a son. The peaceful clergy life was not for Florence however, and in 1928 she abandoned her family and stowed away on a freighter bound for Mexico. In the year she spent abroad, Florence Barnes adopted the nickname Pancho, and was known by it for the rest of her life.
Pancho returned to San Marino and immediately began flying lessons. Her passion for aviation took off, and she ran an ad-hoc barnstorming show and competed in air races. Despite a crash in the 1929 Powder Puff Derby, Pancho returned in 1930 under the sponsorship of the Union Oil Company to win the race — and break Amelia Earhart's world women's speed record with a speed of 196.19 mph (315.7 km/h). After her contract with Union Oil expired, Pancho moved to Hollywood to work as a stunt pilot for movies. Pancho already had connections in Hollywood; her close friend George Hurrell was head of the portrait department of MGM Studios, but had got his start after Pancho introduced him to Ramon Novarro, another good friend of Pancho's. Pancho quickly formed friendships with other stars such as Susan Oliver and Richard Arlen.
The high life treated Pancho well, but the Great Depression and disputes with her family were quickly draining her small fortune. By 1935, Pancho had only her apartment in Hollywood left. She sold this and bought 80 acres (32.4 ha) of land in the Mojave Desert, near the Rogers dry lake bed and the nascent Muroc Field.
The Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch
After the fire
After the Rancho Oro Verde was destroyed, Pancho was so disgusted that she moved to Cantil, California, with hopes of restarting a similar ranch there. In 1961, a change in Air Force leadership resulted in Pancho being reinvited back to Edwards Air Force Base. Resettling in nearby Boron, California, Pancho once again became a commonplace figure at the base and was referred to as the "Mother of Edwards AFB". The officer's mess at Edwards was renamed the Pancho Barnes Room, and the wounds began to heal as Pancho reconnected with many old-timers.
Pancho was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Antelope Valley Aero Museum's annual "Barnstormers Reunion" on April 5, 1975. However, when a friend called on March 30, she could not reach Pancho. When Pancho's son went to investigate, he found Pancho dead in her home. The coroner determined that she had died of a heart attack several days earlier.
References
Categories: 1901 births | 1975 deaths | Women aviators