Title taken from verso. Verso: Officials of CR&NW RR before they are identified in "The Copper Spike." Front row (l. to r.): James English, track superintendent; J.R. Van Cleve, master mechanic; Sam Murchison, superintendent of construction;...
Identified from front to back, on snowy trail: Mr. Williams, Belinda Mulrooney, John Lee, Dan Fraser, Bob Menzie, Gus Biegler, Ed Hutchinson, Mr. Williams, Cleve Gillett, Marlin Mosier, and Bert Bower. Photographet's number 331.
1 min, 13 sec film clip, black & white/sound. Barbara Lindberg, being interviewed, talks about her memories of Weeks Field. The audio may come from an interview between Barbara Lindberg and Margaret Van Cleve on April 27, 1994.
01 Began flying (2:43 min.) (01 of 09) On her way to school she was able to see airplanes taking off from the local airport. She thought that was what she wanted to do with her life. She saved up the $125.00 but the flight school closed...
02 Next step (3:39 min.) (02 of 09) During 1940, the U.S. Government was getting ready for war -- the Civilian Pilot Training program was started. They allowed one woman in each class of ten. While at Marshall College she learned how to do...
03 More military training (3:36 min.) (03 of 09) Pearl went to Sweetwater, Texas, to train with the Women's Air Corps. She heard that there was a need for pilots in Alaska. In 1944, she headed to Fairbanks, Alaska. She got stuck in Seattle...
04 First jobs in Alaska (5:04 min.) (04 of 09) Lockheed Vega took her to Fairbanks. Bush flying was what she wanted, but she couldn't get hired in Fairbanks. Herb Hagler at Fairbanks Air Service wouldn't give her a job as a pilot, but he told...
05 A plane of her own (5:30 min.) (05 of 09) There was no flight instruction in the winter so Pearl was laid off. She spent the winter of 1945 at the University at Fairbanks. She saw the Russian pilots flying the lend lease planes. Margaret...
06 Crash took six weeks to repair aircraft (4:58 min.)(06 of 09)
In the mean time took a job teaching in McGrath that keep her busy through the winter. In the spring went to lower 48 to get an airplane. In Seattle went to Northern Commercial...
07 Followed the lend-lease path (6:32 min.) (07 of 09)
Back then you had to check in with customs every time you stopped. Margaret met up with two others bound for Alaska (Major Ware and Joe Barber), and they figured to save money by taking the...
08 Continue into Alaska (4:54 min.) (08 of 09)
Got some bad gas in Northway and had to drain the tanks. Finally made it into Nome, but it took two weeks. Joe Barber's plane was found a month later, and they found a trappers cabin with some...
09 Flew that summer (1946) (4:15 min,) (09 of 09)
Got married soon thereafter, husband owned a trading post in McGrath. Had a son and then husband got sick and died; left her with a child and a trading post to run. Stayed in McGrath until 1953.