Golden Age Pioneers: Jean Batten Garbo of the Skies

Jean Batten, (1909 1982), was a New Zealand aviatrix whose daring and adventurous flights made her a global heroine and broke barriers of time, distance and gender. Jean competed in a male bastion of dashing bravery and proved to the world that a woman could equal and even exceed their exploits. Jean s love of flying was matched by her desire to prove herself equal to any man. These driving forces combined to create the Garbo of the skies, a glamorous daring adventurer who courted world wide attent