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Birds, Planes and Hutchinsons
Did you know that in the first half of the 20th century there was once an entire family of expert flyers? In 1931, two sisters--no more than 16--flew their parents Lt. Gov. George R. and Janet Hutchinson through 48 states in their Stinson aircraft. Also on board was the family's pet lion cub, Governor. As you can imagine, the clan caused quite a stir, soaring the friendly skies. President Herbet Hoover awarded them a Scroll of the States, encouraging their journey and acclimating America to aviation as the latest rage in domestic and leisure travel. They were quickly dubbed The Flying Family and their exploits became even more sensational as Governor shook paws with the governors of all 48 states and the Hutchinsons collected their signatures on the States scroll. A year later, The Flying Family set out on an even more remarkable adventure. They headed to Greenland in a Sikorsky S-38 seaplane. Though the family made it safely to shore, their plane didn't. Choppy weather conditions forced a crash landing on an iceberg! A fishing boat rescued them three days later. These were just the kinds of nail-biting tales the creative media of the time lapped up and absorbed. Is it any wonder that The Flying Family landed on Broadway, in Hollywood and along the airwaves with their own radio show? Of course, a family of aviating adventurers grows restless when grounded. So in 1939, the crew took to the air once again--this time with a Scroll of All Nations from President Roosevelt. Alas, the advent of World War II grounded them once more. At the end of their journey, they'd seen Canada, South and Central America and the Caribbean and brought back the signatures of 22 presidents and the Governor of General Canada! Though they never flew agains as a family, daughter Janet went on to become a Women's Airforce Service Pilot (a "WASP"), a ferry pilot and an instructor. |
