Penny Thompson was raised by her widowed mother on a small farm. Inspired by Amelia Earhart, she attained her private pilots license in 1936 at 19 years old. Little did she know, she would go on to play a major role in paving the way for women to gain respect and acceptance in the male dominated world of aviation.
In 1940 she became a charter member of the Florida chapter of the 99s, the elite women’s pilot organization founded by Amelia Earhart. That same year she began publishing the Southeastern Airport News. In 1947 at the age of 29, she served as president of the Florida chapter of the 99s.
During World War II Penny joined the Civil Air Patrol and flew her plane over the Gulf of Mexico looking for German submarines that were attacking Allied ships. Following the war, she dedicated herself to promoting women in aviation. In 1947 she lobbied officials in Washington D.C. to rename the Miami Municipal Airport the Amelia Earhart Field in honor of the famed aviatrix who took off on her ill-fated flight from that same airport a decade prior.
After women pilots were banned from the All American Air Maneuvers, Penny decided women
should have their own air show. In just two months, she organized the First All Women’s Air
Show with money raised going toward helping train young women pilots. More than 13,000
people came to watch the two-day historic event in Tampa.
To promote the show the next year, Penny flew an experimental “flying car” from Canada to
Florida. She landed the plane in Jacksonville, folded the wings up and drove on A1A to
Daytona Beach, receiving national publicity.
In 1953 she married Larry Thompson, a popular humor columnist for the Miami Herald. The
next year they had twins. To encourage other moms, Penny started the Dade County Mothers
of Twins Club. For 20 years she organized the Annual Twins Easter Parade featuring hundreds
of twins and their moms.
Following the death of Larry, she was a tireless advocate for planting more flowering trees and
creating more parks in Dade County to honor his legacy. After a lengthy battle with leukemia,
Penny died in 1973 at the age of 57. Today, the largest park and campground in Dade County
is named in their honor, the Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park.
A true leader and pioneer in women’s aviation, Penny was an inspiration for future generations of women.