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168 successful as radio announcer at air meets, for she speaks fluently, has real wit, and knows nearly everyone in the field.

Miss Smith’s clothes can usually be counted on for a surprise. She is apt to wear whatever fancy or comfort of the moment dictates. At air meets I have seen her in costumes that range from conventional riding breeches to bright red beach overalls or shorts. Verily, clothes don't make a pilot, and pilots, men or women, may wear almost any kind they choose and still fly.

I think I should pause and emphasize this point a bit. Since the public has only recently learned that flying is not a thing totally apart from other human activities, only recently have pilots been able to fly in everyday clothes. At one time unless they dressed as “aviators,” they were likely to be regarded with suspicion. To do my part in making aviation appear as normal as possible, I decided several years ago to abandon special togs and to wear only conventional sport clothes, with skirts, around airports and while flying. Sometimes I even omitted a helmet and pulled on my goggles over a close fitting hat. Thus I entered my plane as matter-of-factly as I did a car—and nearly always surprised onlookers thereby.

Those days are over. The increasing familiarity of people with cabin planes and aviation in general has lightened this and other loads which devotees such as I assumed for the good of the cause. We