Page 31 - Ruth Law

RUTH LAW
DAYTONA'S PIONEER AVIATOR

SHE BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER

Jacqueline Cochran
1910 - 1980

Jacqueline Cochran was born and raised in poverty in
Pensacola, Florida. In 1932 she obtained her pilot's
license. On May 18, 1953, Jacqueline Cochran flew her
F-86 Sabre in excess of 625 miles per hour breaking the
sound barrier. In 1958, the Avions Dassault Company
flew a Mirage III-A, military fighter at twice the speed of
sound.

THE BIRTH OF THE CONCORDE

The Concorde supersonic airliner was build jointly by
France and Great Britain and to this day remains the only
such plane to operate successfully in commercial service.
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and President Charles
De Gaulle met in Paris in June, 1962. The meeting led to
a formal intergovernmental agreement that committed
both countries to proceed with Concorde. Cost to each
nation was to be $224 million over eight years.

The Concorde carried 100 passengers, from Europe to
New York, in about three hours, at 1350mph, and at
about 60,000 feet. The oil crises of the late 1970's
greatly increased the cost of petroleum. Before the
crises, jet fuel cost 11 cents per gallon, by 1980 the price
was $1.00 a gallon. In 1982, a round-trip Concorde
ticket between New York and Paris cost $3,900. In
2000, the price tag was $8,148. Environmental concerns
and noise pollution drew opposition from scientists. A
Concorde crashed in mid-2000, and service was
discontinued until 2001. On October 24, 2003, Concorde
flew for the final time.

HER PLACE IN AVIATION HISTORY
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