Retracing the Race That Changed Women's Aviation

A documentary film in production

In August 1929, twenty pioneering women pilots took off from Santa Monica, California, determined to race nearly 2,800 miles across America to Cleveland, Ohio.

Flying with limited navigation equipment, unreliable weather forecasts, and enormous public scrutiny, they challenged the boundaries of aviation and the expectations placed upon women.

Nearly a century later, Derby Skies takes audiences back into the air to rediscover their extraordinary journey.

Derby Skies is a documentary adventure that follows filmmaker and student pilot Susan Roe Musacchio as she retraces the original 1929 Women's Air Derby route.

Traveling by air and on the ground, Susan explores historic airfields, reconstructs the pilots' navigation challenges, and uncovers the people, places, and stories that remain along the route.

Combining archival photographs, historical research, interviews, and contemporary aerial cinematography, the film connects the daring aviation pioneers of 1929 with a new generation of women taking flight.

Two journeys. One historic route. Nearly 100 years apart.

The documentary explores:

• The Race of 1929 — Twenty women, nine days, and a remarkable transcontinental aviation challenge.
• The Original Route — Historic airfields, landmarks, and navigation methods that guided the pilots across America.
• The Modern Journey — Retracing the race from today's cockpit and documenting what remains of aviation history.
• The Legacy — How these pioneering women helped transform opportunities for generations of aviators.

In 2029, aviation will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Women's Air Derby.

Yet many of the original airfields have disappeared, landscapes have changed, and remarkable stories remain largely unknown.

Derby Skies is an opportunity to document this history while it can still be rediscovered—and to introduce a new generation to the courage, independence, and determination of the women who made it possible.

Status: In production

Filmmaker: Susan Roe Musacchio

Production: Aviatrix Company

Genre: Documentary | Aviation | History | Adventure

Filming: Along the original 1929 Women's Air Derby transcontinental route

Audience: Film festivals, streaming audiences, aviation enthusiasts, museums, and educational organizations

Follow the documentary's progress as we visit historic airfields, explore archival discoveries, and retrace one of aviation's most extraordinary races.

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