Born: 1894 (Missouri)
Died: 1967
Opal Kunz (November 6, 1894 – May 15, 1967) was an early American aviator, the chief organizer of the Betsy Ross Air Corps, and a charter member of the Ninety-Nines organization of women pilots. In 1930, she became the first woman pilot to race with men in an open competition. She made many public appearances to urge more women to take up flying.
Opal Logan Giberson was born in 1894 in Missouri to Edward F. Giberson and his wife. She graduated from Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 1923, she married mineralogist George Frederick Kunz (1856–1932). The marriage was annulled in 1929. The couple remained on good terms, with Kunz caring for George for the remainder of his life. On his death, he left her a substantial bequest.
Kunz earned her pilot’s license in 1929. A crash two weeks later in New Jersey drew extensive press coverage; she escaped uninjured. A second crash two years later left her with gasoline burns. She spent a great deal of time and money on her flying pursuits and always named her planes after Betsy Ross.
On April 7, 1930, at the Philadelphia American Legion Benefit Air Meet, she became the first woman to race with men in open competition. She won the race. Kunz gave frequent press interviews and radio addresses to urge more women to take up flying.
In 1929, Kunz participated in the first Women’s Air Derby, later dubbed the Powder Puff Derby by humorist Will Rogers. The course began in Santa Monica, California, and ended in Cleveland, Ohio. Race rules stipulated that the aircraft must have horsepower appropriate for a woman. Kunz was told her own 300-horsepower Beech Travel Air was too fast for a woman to handle and would not be allowed. Forced to borrow a less-powerful airplane in order to take part in the race, she finished eighth.
Kunz loaned her plane to aviator John Donaldson at the American Legion Air Races meet in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on September 7, 1930. Donaldson suffered fatal injuries when the airplane fell from a height of 1,800 feet straight down into the municipal airfield.
Kunz was an organizer of the Betsy Ross Air Corps, a paramilitary service formed to support the Army Air Corps (the precursor to the U.S. Air Force) in national defense and to serve as humanitarian air minutemen in times of emergency. It also had the goal of offering flight instruction to women in order to build a strong reserve of female pilots. The corps actively recruited women with flying licenses to join and offered training to those without licenses.
Overall, Opal Kunz made significant contributions to the field of aviation, breaking barriers for women pilots and advocating for their inclusion. Her passion for flying and dedication to inspiring other women to pursue their dreams in aviation has left a lasting impact on the history of flight.