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Candis (Hitzig Gullino) Hall |
Charter member Candis Hall's first association with flying was her announcement that she wanted to fly in a dirigible to Europe. As a means of dissuading her, her father suggested she fly to California to visit her aunt. In February, 1928, in an attempt to set up a record as the first woman to fly from New York to California, she was weighed as mail on a mail scale, replaced the air mail and took off as a passenger in an airmail plane. Every four hours there was a pilot change and it was a fierce trip. At one point over the Allegheny Mountains, the plane dropped 1,000' and Candy was no longer in the airplane. She attempted to find the 'chute cord but before she found it and could do anything about it, she was back in the airplane again -- it having maneuvered underneath her. On landing in Chicago in snowy conditions, they wound up in a nose-down position and had to climb out of the airplane via a ladder. At this point, she had to connect up with the commercial flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City, Utah. She met Margaret Saunton, another girl who was attempting the same New York to California record. These two ladies again parted company and were back in the open cockpit to the west coast, again in an air mail plane. Candy flew to Los Angeles and Margaret to San Francisco. Candy came out the winner by a few hours.
Candy started working on her own license on June 1, 1928 and received her private license at Curtiss Field adjoining Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York. She got her Limited Commercial at Salinas, California. Due to financial reasons (the Great Depression) and raising children, which eventually totaled seven, she gave up flying. She flew for pleasure and enjoyed it very much.
She attended a meeting at the Sheraton on W. 57th Street at which discussions were held about putting together a women's flying club. "It was all Amelia's idea," she said. There were only about 5 or 6 members in attendance.
She was one of the 26 women present at the original 99s meeting, November 2, 1929.
Charter member Candis Hall went to new horizons on January 12, 2003 due to complications from a fall in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Reviewed 6/1/09
