Today in History - 1930

1st woman pilot, Ruth Nichols, on a transcontinental air flight (Mineola, New York to California), in a Lockheed-Vega, set the women's transcontinental record of 16 hours, 59 minutes. On the return flight, her Los Angeles-to-New York flying time of 13 hours, 22 minutes beat Lindbergh's record time for a cross-country flight.

In March 1931, Nichols set an international record of 28,743 feet - higher than any woman had ever flown before. A month later, National Aeronautic Association officials clocked Nichols as she screamed the Vega across a three-kilometer speed course. In four passes, she set a new women's record of 210.6 miles per hour, 25 m.p.h. faster than the previous record.