Walking on Air: The Aerial Adventures of Phoebe Omlie

217 Pages·2011·2.09 MB·English

by  Janann Sherman

Walking on Air

Walking on Air
The Aerial Adventures of
PHOEBE OMLIE
Janann Sherman
University Press of Mississippi • Jackson
Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography
www.upress.state.ms.us
Designed by Peter D. Halverson
The University Press of Mississippi is a member of the Association of
American University Presses.
Photograph on page ii by P. W. Hamilton, photographer for the Minneapolis
Tribune. Phoebe Omlie Collection.
Copyright © 2011 by University Press of Mississippi
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
First printing 2011
∞
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sherman, Janann.
Walking on air : the aerial adventures of Phoebe Omlie / Janann Sherman.
p. cm. — (Willie Morris books in memoir and biography)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61703-124-3 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-61703-125-0 (ebook)
1. Omlie, Phoebe Fairgrave, 1902–1975. 2. Women air pilots—United States—
Biography. 3. Air pilots—United States—Biography. 4. Aeronautics—United
States—History—20th century. I. Title.
TL540.O45S56 2011
629.13092—dc22 [B] 2010053401
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
To Charlie,
who taught me how to live
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Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............. ix
CHAPTER 1 ...................... 3
CHAPTER 2 ...................... 24
CHAPTER 3 ...................... 38
CHAPTER 4 ...................... 63
CHAPTER 5 ...................... 79
CHAPTER 6 ...................... 97
CHAPTER 7 ...................... 118
EPILOGUE ....................... 134
AFTERWORD Finding Phoebe ........ 139
NOTES .......................... 147
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................... 185
INDEX .......................... 192
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Acknowledgments
So many people have helped and guided me throughout this long journey.
The following people have helped me find information, read my drafts, kept
up my spirits, and most of all, never let me down.
I’m listing names alphabetically but, because I’ve spent my whole life
as an “S,” I’m doing so in reverse order: Pat Thaden Webb, Susan Ware,
June Viviano, Steve Trimble, Heather Taylor, Michael Shenk, Matt Shearer,
Janet Scott, Thelma Rudd, Cathie Rochau, Patrick Pidgeon, Shirley Oakley,
Lisa Norling, Kim Nichols, Dee Navrkal, Vicki Murrell, Lynn Mirassou,
Bob Minter, John McWhorter, Chriss Lyon, Marilyn Locke, Betsy Kidd,
Jim Kacarides, Jim Johnson, Betty Huehls, Candice Hawkinson, Della May
Hartley-Frazier, Ken and Jerry Guthrie, Andrea and Mattie Green, Velma
Gillispie, Jim Fulbright, Harry Friedman, Delories Duncan, Patti du Toit,
Charles Crawford, Lisa Cotham, Beverly Bond, Meg and Mike Bartlett,
Paula Barnes.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone. I am profoundly grateful to you all.
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