Peggy Lennox Flying Today

Keith Mackey, N4159, sent us this clipping, dated 1950. Here are his comments in the e-mail:

The other articles describe how Peggy Lennox went on to place second in the 1950 Powder Puff Derby Woman's air race from Montreal to Hollywood (Florida) in N360A. She was sponsored by the City of Hollywood. A quick Google search finds that Peggy was a very well know aviatrix of that era. Here are some links:

British Air Transport Auxiliary

Camel Ad: WHAT! A girl training men to fly for Uncle Sam? (Apr, 1942)

OFF TO RACES

Peggy Lennox, Hollywood woman flier, received a sendoff from city officials Monday as she began a flight to Montreal, starting point of an international woman's air race to Palm Beach. Perched on the cockpit of her tiny Mooney Mite, called "Miss Hollywood," she received from City Manager Paul McMann a box of tropical fruit for the mayor of Montreal.

[Hollywood Police photo]

Local Ace Flying From Montreal

Peggy Lennox, ace, aviatrix, is racing a 400-pound Mooney Mite plane today from Montreal, Canada, to West Palm Beach in the cross-continental championship classic under the colors of the City of Hollywood.

The local pilot, who won this race a year ago, is possessor of the Bertram trophy for winning the closed course race for cub planes twice in St. Augustina and once in St. Petersburg.

She is competing for part of the $2,000 total in cash prizes being offered winners of this second international air classic for female fliers. Her plane has a cruising speed of about 150 miles per hour.

She left Hollywood Airpark Monday noon and carried with her a box of oranges, mangos and a ponderosa lemon, gifts from Mayor L.C. Boggs of Hollywood to the mayor of Montreal; a coconut, and also a letter from Police Chief Philip A. Thompson to the Montreal police chief, making him an honorary member of the Hollywood police department.

Live Here

Peggy, who is married to George Firkal, saxophonist and clarinetist, who played with Tommy Dorsey in the middle 30's, resides aboard a sloop at the Hollywood yacht basin. They came here a little more than a year ago from St. Petersburg. She was employed a year ago at the Hollywood Beach hotel.

The race is one of a trio of major events being staged tomorrow and Sunday at International Airport, West Palm Beach, terminus for the 1,500 mile Canada-Florida hop. Several Hollywood residents plan to be at West Palm Beach today to greet her on arrival. She left Montreal yesterday morning.

In addition to the Hollywood flier, entries include Mrs. V. Tattleman, Washington; Helen Greinke, Bloomington, Ill.; Lenore McElroy, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Margaret Manuel, Stanton, Minn.; Mary Wolf Lee, St. Petersburg; Kaddy Landry, Miami; Mrs. Greenwood Cocanougher, Lexington, Ky.; Lee Scoville, St. Louis, Mo.; and Alice Jean May, Englewood, N.J.

Here is another article about Peggy Lennox making the flight in N360A.

2008-05-29