of WWI, Earhart decided to reject returning to school at Ogontz and, instead, she enlisted in the war effort as a Volunteer Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) nurseÆs aid at Spadina Military Convalescent Hospital in Toronto. As she said of this time, ôIt so completely changed the direction of my own life.ö
Aviation offered women few opportunities during EarhartÆs young adult years. Barnstorming and air races were flying events in which women could participate. Female pilots like Ruth Nichols, Mary Haizlip, Bobbi Trout, Bessie Coleman and others helped pave the way for an expanded role for women in aviation. After her first flight at the California air show, Earhart began training with Netta Snook, a pioneer aviatrix, in 1920. Earhart purchased her first plane, a yellow Kinner Airster. Despite some crashes, Earhart began setting aviation records for women, including setting the womenÆs altitude record in 1922, only to see it broken by Mary Haizlip a short time later. Nevertheless, EarhartÆs feat garnered a good deal of press and began to dismantle barriers to female participation in aviation. Bert Kinner, who designed the plane in which she broke the record, took out an ad featuring the plane whose headline read, ôA LadyÆs Plane as well as a ManÆs.ö
There were a number of crashes Earhart would survive in her flying days. Two of these occurred with her initial instructor, Neta Snook. During one crash, Earhart was still SnookÆs trainee, but EarhartÆs presence of mind during the crash enabled her to cut off the engine switch to avoid fire, something Neta had failed to do. By the time they crash landed in a cabbage patch, Neta observed Earhart powdering her nose. ôWe have to look nice when the reporters come,ö was EarhartÆs explanation. As EarhartÆs popularity grew, she and Snook grew apart and Earhart took up with another flying coach. Nevertheless, such daring, courage, and risk-taking, along with her popular...