Pancho Barnes was never one to live an ordinary life. In the late 1920s, she learned to fly almost on a dare to herself, and her natural skill and fearless personality quickly drew her into Hollywood’s stunt flying world. She had a natural talent for precision flying, which made her invaluable to filmmakers during aviation’s golden era on screen.
She flew in numerous films, including 1929 FLYING FOOL, 1930 HELL’S ANGELS, and THE DAWN PATROL. She continued her work in Hollywood flying stunts throughout the rest of the 1930’s. She worked with legendary directors like Howard Hawks and her life-long friend, Howard Hughes. Pancho Barnes flew high-risk aerial dogfights in early war films, and her skill and fearlessness broke gender barriers. Her work in film helped define the look and excitement of aviation on screen, proving to directors and producers that women could master the toughest jobs in the business.
Stunt flying is a very risky business, and several stunt pilots, several of whom were her friends, were severely injured and died during the filming of the early aviation themed movies. So she founded one of the first Unions in Hollywood, The Associated Motion Picture Pilots, to make sure that her fellow stunt pilots and friends were appropriately paid for the risk they were taking, and to make sure that their medical expenses were covered. Her advocacy helped elevate the entire stunt community…. changes that have had a lasting impact on the industry.
Pancho Barnes was fearless in the air and a force for change on the ground. In doing so, she left her mark not only on aviation history, but on film history as well.
