LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Jackie Cochran: Flying
built 216 days ago
Jackie Cochran won something else that year -- recognition. She received the Harmon Trophy, the highest award given to a pilot in America. She would win the Harmon Trophy thirteen more times.
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In 1937 Jackie entered the Bendix Trophy Race finished in third place overall and first place in the woman's division. The race was between Los Angeles, California to Cleveland, Ohio. Her time during that race was 10 hours, 19 minutes, and 8.7 seconds. Her average speed was 194.74 mph in a Beechcraft.
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In the 1970s, Cochran finally slowed down due to a serious cardiac condition. During the decade, she received numerous awards and honorary degrees in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments. In August 1980, after struggling with failing health, Cochran died in Indio, California.
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Even though Jackie was rated to fly multi-engine aircraft that were the same size and weight of the bomber this was just a compromise to get into the cockpit. As soon as the Wasp’s were formed, hundreds of women would be flying the largest bombers and fastest fighters this country produced. On June 17, 1941 Jackie’s crossed the Atlantic in a military medium bomber.
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Susan Patrick is convincing and energetic as Cochran. As per Sunde’s script, Patrick’s Cochran is not a particularly likeable individual. Her startling congressional testimony against establishing training for female astronauts (in order not to delay our space program, she testified) during the early days of space exploration is attributed here to her jealousy over being rejected from participation because of heart problems and a lack of formal qualifications.
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"Jackie was a friend you could call on," said former WASP FloraBelle Reece, one of three members of the unit now living in Lancaster. "She was always able to help if we needed her - say, if we had some kind of trouble at a base somewhere. She had a tremendous amount of community spirit."
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