Amelia Earhart sits in Beech-Nut Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro
Appalachian celebrities / Aviation / South Carolina

Amelia Earhart drops in

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Amelia Earhart with Pitcairn Autogiro Co. PCA-2 #4, NX760W, at Pitcairn Field, Warrington, Pennsylvania, in April 1931.
Amelia Earhart with Pitcairn Autogiro Co. PCA-2 #4, NX760W, at Pitcairn Field, Warrington, Pennsylvania, in April 1931.

Amelia Earhart flew into the Anderson, SC airport in her Pitcairn Autogiro PCA-2 on November 14, 1931 and attracted over 1,000 spectators. Mayor G.T. McGregor and other city leaders met her at the airport. In May of that year, flying that plane, the thirty three year old had set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet.

Seeing an opportunity to attach its brand name to Earhart’s rising star, the Beech-Nut Packing Company that same month offered Earhart the use of its PCA-2 if she would fly it coast-to-coast with the company logo painted on its side and accompanying promotion efforts related to its chewing gum. 

At each stop she lifted children to see the cockpit, shook hands with spectators, gave interviews, and often gave out samples of the Beech-Nut chewing gum.

Although she did additional flying for Beech-Nut in a mutually profitable arrangement, her significant contact with the Autogiro finished with the end of 1931. She was already planning the solo trans-Atlantic flight of May 20-21, 1932, which would win her the National Geographic Society Special Medal, the first awarded to a woman pilot.

In January of 1935 Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. Then, in June 1937, Amelia Earhart tried to fly around the world in a Lockheed 10E Electra, and the newspapers were full of news of her journey. She vanished over the Pacific Ocean en route to New Guinea.

While to us it might seem that Earhart was engaged in flying stunts, she was, with other female flyers, crucial to making the American public ‘air minded’ and convincing them that aviation was no longer just for daredevils and supermen.

Amelia Earhart poses with locals in front of an autogiro at the Anderson Airport, 1931. Her visit was part of her Beech Nut Gum promotional tour that year.
Amelia Earhart poses with locals in front of an autogiro at the Anderson Airport, 1931. Her visit was part of her Beech Nut Gum promotional tour that year.

sources: South Carolina Postcards: Anderson County, by Howard Woody, Arcadia Publishing, 2003
http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/Amelia-Earhart-Autogiro.htm
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21250

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11 comments

  1. Does anyone know the names of the other folks in the picture with Amelia Earhart? I am doing research on an earlier female aviator, Nell Foster Behr, who, with her husband, may have owned the Anderson Airport at the time of this photo.

    Thanks,

    Sarah Vallieu

  2. 3rd from the right is Forest D. Suggs, Sr. and 6th from the right is his wife, Mary Stark Suggs. They were my grandparents.

  3. Gray, I’ve seen this photo many times, but never knew those were your grandparents until I finally saw a copy with the people identified. What a historic day that was for them and for Anderson!

  4. These are the people identified as being in the photo as it appeared in the newspaper: “Bonner Kidd (from left): J.H. Mitchell, Anderson Mayor G.T. McGregor, Amelia Earhart, Mrs. F.D. Suggs, Mrs. J.H. Mitchell, Dr. F.D. Suggs, Pete Thornton, Lon Sullivan, Tom Speer, and Phil Garrison. The two women at the right are unidentified. Mr. Speer and Mr. Garrison worked for Piedmont Candy and Cigar Co., the local business that helped arrange Amelia Earhart’s stop in Anderson.”

  5. Bonner Kidd was correctly identified as the gentleman on the far left. The woman to the right of Amelia was his wife, Maybelle. They were my great-grandparents.

  6. It is so exciting, to find that someone is looking for information about the Behrs, as I am also. The Behrs were good friends of my parents even before I was born.

    I was in their home across the road from the airport many times and I always thought it was so wonderful that the entire family called Nell “Honey” as in “honey bear”. Then there was also Teddy Behr, Billy Behr, and Nellie Behr, who
    was my age.

    Howard Behr came to Anderson in the late eighties or early nineties to visit my mother and had lunch at our home. Nell had died some time before that and Howard sat at our table and talked about her with tears rolling down his cheeks. He was such a dear man.

    Nell actually taught my father to fly a plane— just for fun.

    That is the last time I have heard anything from any of the Behrs. I always thought Nell had female pilot license number two in the US. But that may not be true. I would love to have any information about them.

  7. I’m doing a report for the Anderson County Museum. There is confusion on the names till this day. The references from the right I believe are causing the confusion. Can anyone begin with Amelia and going left to right with her, provide the names. It appears the first to Amelia’s right is Maybelle Kidd. Can anyone take it from there? Thanks.

  8. I have the Original photo taken by Lewis D Moorehead on this day in 1931. It has his stamp and name on back of photo,

  10. My great-aunt, Mrs. George (Mamie P) Bailey was the president of the American Legion Women’s Auxilliary that hosted the dinner at the Poinsett Hotel. I do know that Amelia Earhart took her up for a ride. I believe she may be one of the women to the right of Amelia but would have to check old pics with a larger photo to identify. She thought the world of Amelia Earhart and worried about what had happened to her until her death in 1989.

  11. Hello, I was at the civic center in Anderson today 2/15 and the plaque is missing from the pole? It’s all overgrown and no light? Did someone steal America’s plaque????

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