"LEGEND NEVER DIES"™ Blog

Singer-songwriter JJ Ford has captured the fearless spirit of Florence Lowe “Pancho” Barnes in his moving tribute ballad, Legend of Pancho Barnes. The song first appeared on Ford’s 2018 album Last Carousel, blending the storytelling tradition of country and folk with the larger-than-life history of one of aviation’s true trailblazers. With heartfelt lyrics and a timeless melody, Ford’s ballad celebrates… [Read More]

Once Upon a time in the golden age of Hollywood, the daring and unconventional aviatrix Pancho Barnes received a special invitation from her close friend, the dashing and talented actor Ramon Navarro. Ramon Navarro was a world-famous leading man and one of the top box office stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. It was February 6, 1930, and the… [Read More]

Pancho Barnes and George Hurrell were both eager for an adventure in the summer of 1928, and decided to embark on a three day fishing trip to Baja Mexico together. Pancho was an experienced fisherman, and loved nothing more than spending her days on the water, casting her line and reeling in the biggest catch. As they set off on their… [Read More]

In early January 1935, Pancho Barnes and her young son, Billy Barnes, moved to Rancho Oro Verde (later known as The Happy Bottom Riding Club), where they planned to live full time. On February 22nd of that same year, Wiley Post, who was world-famous for being the first pilot to fly solo around the world, “belly” landed his Lockheed Vega, the… [Read More]

In addition to her many accomplishments, Pancho Barnes was an early supporter and pioneer in television. In late 1947 Pancho Barnes decided to help fund an early television series called COWBOY SLIM. The series was filmed at her 360-acre ‘Rancho Oro Verde’ property and ‘Happy Bottom Riding Club.’ The Pancho Barnes Trust Estate Archive contains the only two known surviving… [Read More]

We salute General Chuck Yeager (February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020), a true American hero, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Among his many achievements, on October 14, 1947, while piloting the experimental Bell X-1, General Yeager became the first to fly faster than the speed of sound. That evening Yeager and his X-1 team celebrated this… [Read More]

The following interview is excerpted from the forthcoming book VOICES FROM THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB. Dr. Barney Oldfield was an aircraft design engineer and was head of the flight research instrumentation group for Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, New York. He was a charter member of Pancho’s Happy Bottom Riding Club. His membership card is dated 1944. My name is… [Read More]

The following interview was conducted in 2006 by the Pancho Barnes Trust Estate Archive with early hot rod Dry Lake racer Hyman “Blackie” Gold.  Blackie became a friend of Pancho Barnes about 2 years after she relocated from Pasadena to Muroc on her Rancho Oro Verde. This interview features an excerpt from the coming book, VOICES FROM THE HAPPY BOTTOM… [Read More]

The current US Air Force Flight Test Museum is located behind the gates at Edwards Air Force Base.  Because the Museum is currently located behind the gates on a top security air base, access is often not possible for non-military personnel.   To make the museum fully accessible to the public, it is currently being rebuilt and relocated to just… [Read More]

Pancho Says: “Please buy the new book just published by General Chuck Yeager’s favorite wingman, Victoria Yeager: “101 Chuck Yeager-isms: Wit & Wisdom from America’s Hero.” Click the link here to review and purchase: