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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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From Wiki:
A historical marker has been erected near the now abandoned farmhouse in Arcadia, Michigan where Quimby was born. After her family moved to San Francisco, California in the early 1900s, she became a journalist. She moved to New York City in 1903 to work as a theater critic for Leslie's Illustrated Weekly and more than 250 of her articles were published over a nine-year period.
She became interested in aviation in 1910, when she attended the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island, New York and met John Moisant, a well-known American aviator and operator of a flight school, and his sister Matilde Moisant.
On August 1, 1911, Quimby took her pilot's test and became the first U.S. woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator's certificate. Matilde Moisant soon followed and became the nation's second certified female pilot.[1]
Hollywood[edit]
In 1911 Quimby authored seven screenplays or scenarios that were made into silent film shorts by Biograph Studios. All seven were directed by director D. W. Griffith. Stars in her films included Florence La Badie, Wilfred Lucas, and Blanche Sweet. Quimby had a small acting role in one movie.[2]
Vin Fiz[edit]
The Vin Fiz Company, a division of Armour Meat Packing Plant of Chicago, recruited Harriet as the spokesperson for the new grape soda, Vin Fiz, after the death of Calbraith Perry Rodgers in April 1912. Her distinctive purple aviatrix uniform and image graced many of the advertising pieces of the day.[3]
English Channel[edit]
On April 16, 1912, Quimby took off from Dover, England, en route to Calais, France and made the flight in 59 minutes, landing about 25 miles (40 km) from Calais on a beach in Hardelot-Plage, Pas-de-Calais. She had become the first woman to pilot an aircraft across the English Channel.[4]
Her accomplishment received little media attention, however, as the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15 (the day before) consumed the interest of the public and filled newspapers.[5]
Death[edit]
On July 1, 1912 Quimby flew in the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet at Squantum, Massachusetts. Ironically, although she had obtained her ACA certificate to be allowed to participate in ACA events, the Boston meet was an unsanctioned contest. Quimby flew out to Boston Light in Boston Harbor at about 3000 feet, and then returned and circled the airfield.[6] William Willard, the organizer of the event and father of the aviator Charles Willard, was a passenger in her brand-new two-seat Bleriot monoplane. At an altitude of 1,500 feet (460 m)[7] the aircraft unexpectedly pitched forward for reasons still unknown. Both Willard and Quimby were ejected from their seats and fell to their deaths, while the plane "glided down and lodged itself in the mud".[8]
Harriet Quimby was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. The following year her remains were moved to the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.
The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's restored and flyable Anzani-powered Blériot XI, which bears the Blériot factory's serial number 56, and the still-current registration number N60094, could be the aircraft that Quimby was flying in 1912 during the Boston Aviation Meet.[citation needed]
The previously wrecked aircraft that now is flown at Old Rhinebeck was found stored in a barn in Laconia, New Hampshire in the 1960s and fully restored to flying condition, most likely by Cole Palen, ORA's founder.
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perswig
climber
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Aug 15, 2013 - 08:09am PT
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Reilly, your photo brought to mind Beryl Markham as well. Just found and gave as a gift 'West with the Night' and now have to dig up my old copy and re-read it.
Dale
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 17, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
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Pers, West With The Night is so much more than a book about flying. It is a literary work.
Markham writes brilliantly, touchingly, and poetically. She was also probably twice the pilot that Earhart was, at the least.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Aug 17, 2013 - 10:59pm PT
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a WWII B-29 has just been found melting out of a glacier
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perswig
climber
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Aug 18, 2013 - 07:28am PT
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Agree, Reilly, hence my need to find my old copy (I think it's out of print, so always happy to find one to pass on).
The book resonates in ways much like Karen Blixen's little tale of growing coffee. "I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills...".
Very powerful women, both. I read, and am in awe.
Dale
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Aug 19, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
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RE: Sutton (Olympic James Bond)
One experienced instructor, who did not wish to be named, said the "responsible and very calculated" jumper [Sutton] appeared to have miscalculated the gradient of the ground he was flying over, meaning he hit the ridge as the land flattened out.
I've not BASE jumped or used a wingsuit or even had much freefall experience. But a question for all of you who do this wingsuit flying:
In your opinion, did Sutton just see the ground oozing up at him while he skimmed @ 125 MPH and then realized that his angle of attack was greater than the downslope of the mountain he was flying over and then he just tried to ride it out to steeper terrain?
Or is this something that he could have averted with an early parachute deployment, if the ground closure rate is even noticeable at a safe altitude?
This whole thing just sends shivers up my spine.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Aug 19, 2013 - 10:07pm PT
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Have been watching this video and thinking about Mario. A lot of this is from Arco, where he was flying:
http://vimeo.com/69609334
Sure shows the attraction (and danger) of doing this.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Aug 20, 2013 - 03:45am PT
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Very sorry to hear about Mario...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mostly @ Travis:
Here is a video someone posted on face book.
I watched it and I saw an incident/close call.
It so closely resembled the particulars of a story I heard that I asked the OP if it was the person I had heard the story from. It turned out that yes indeed it was.
Story being, that my friend Simon had done a jump (don't know proper term?) where the skydivers were making formations together. They separated in preparation for their opening. Simon said he got away from this one guy but he pulled way to early and he did not have time to fully clear away. The other guy's chute opened right below him and he sailed right through the guys line set. Simon told me that he was very lucky and almost took his ear off. His ear was extremely sore but it didn't get cut off, however at that speed it was a matter of millimeters that he didn't get his ear taken off. If it had been centimeters then there was a good likely hood of something much more serious than simply an ear amputation.
The incident happens @ about 4.15/4.20 into it.
Reaper Cam
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Aug 25, 2013 - 03:17am PT
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snakefoot
climber
cali
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Aug 27, 2013 - 11:14am PT
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just a day among friends
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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klimmer good call birdman is a great flick!
i love how they cruise!
i'll stick to skydive until i have the money to buy one of those suits.
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