calsfoundation@cals.org
July 8, 2009
Bentonville (Benton County) native Louise Thaden is shown here approximately four years after earning her pilots license in 1928. During her nearly ten-year competitive aviation career, she set altitude, endurance, and speed records. In 1936, she became the first woman to win the Bendix Transcontinental Air Race. In 1951, the Bentonville municipal airport was named in her honor.