12x10 - Ruth Law Thrills a Nation

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Ahh!

Isn't this a beauty?

It's an old-fashioned
biplane.


This was the latest model.

This plane isn't like
most planes today.

For one, you're flying
in open air.

You really feel the wind.

You have to dress warmly

Because it's cold
in the sky.

This is the cockpit.

It's where
the pilot sits.

You notice there's
no steering wheel.

So how do you control
where the plane goes?

You use the control stick.

The control stick steers
the plane left and right...

Down and up.

When this airplane
was built,

You couldn't always
nd an airport,

So planes needed
big rubber tires

So they could land
in fields.

Flying was risky when airplanes
were first invented.

Still, some people
couldn't wait to try it.

Their planes had wooden frames
and cloth wings.

Biplanes had
two sets of wings

To lift them
off the ground.

Sometimes planes
were even designed

With three sets of wings.

People who flew these planes
were brave.

Some were daredevils,
risking their lives to fly.

These pilots pushed themselves
and their planes to the limit.

How high could they go?

How fast?

How far could they fly
without stopping?

This book is about
one of those pilots.

Her name was ruth law.

On november 19, 1916,

Ruth law tried to fly
from chicago to new york city

In one day.

It had never
been done before.

It was a frosty,
blustery morning.

Ruth woke up before dawn,
but didn't feel the cold.

To get used to
the cold weather,

She had slept in a tent
on a chicago hotel roof.

She put on two woolen suits,
one atop the other.

Then she put on
two leather suits

And covered her bulky outfit
with a skirt.

In 1916, a polite lady
always wore a skirt.

It was still dark
when ruth went to grant park

On the lake michigan shore.

Here was the tiny plane
she flew in air shows,

And it was old.

Mechanics attached
a special windshield

To protect ruth
from the cold wind.

They added
a second gas t*nk

So she'd only have to
stop for fuel once.

This made the plane
too heavy.

They took off the lights.

Without lights, ruth would
have to reach new york city

Before nightfall.

At 7:20 in the morning,
ruth climbed into the cockpit.

She removed her skirt
and stuffed it behind her seat.

She opened the throttle.

The plane leapt forward

And bounced over bumps
and hollows.

It raced awkwardly
across the ground,

Then lifted toward the sky.

A fierce wind
whipped through chicago.

It shook and tossed
the small plane.

A dozen onlookers
watched in fear.

A mechanic cried.

She narrowly topped
the buildings

And slowly climbed into the sky
above chicago.

Ruth law was on her way

To new york city.

A mile above ground,

Ruth sliced through
the frigid winter air

At 100 miles an hour.

She set her course

By consulting
the crude scroll of maps

She'd taped together
and attached to her leg.

Ruth flew
for nearly six hours.

She was 2 miles away
from hornell, new york,

Where a group
of supporters was waiting.

Then the engine quit.

The fuel t*nk was empty.

Ruth had only one chance
to make a safe landing.

The field seemed to
come up at her.

The crowd of spectators
spilled into her path.

The plane brushed their heads.

Ruth was on the ground.

She had flown


It was a record!

No one in america
had ever flown farther.

But ruth's flight
was not over.

At 3:24 in the afternoon,
her plane was refueled,

And ruth left again
for new york city.

Newspapers told
the story of ruth's flight.

A crowd in binghamton,
new york,

Hoped to see her overhead.

They were not disappointed.

At first, she was just
a speck in the sky.

Soon, she made
a striking cameo

Against
the late afternoon sun.

Suddenly, the plane
slanted toward the ground

And disappeared
behind some trees.

"She's down!
Something's broken!"

Nothing was broken.
Ruth had decided to land.

She wouldn't be able
to read instruments

In the dark.

She tied the plane
to a tree,

Wrapped her skirt
around her,

And accepted the hospitality
of strangers.

The next morning,
ruth flew on to new york city.

When she landed,
an army general

And a m*llitary band
were there to greet her.

Ruth was a heroine!

"You b*at them all,"
the general said,

Shaking her hand.

Newspapers heralded her feat.

President woodrow wilson
called her "great."

A huge banquet was given
in her honor.

Ruth law set

An american nonstop
cross-country flying record--



And she thrilled a nation.

Flying was
an exhilarating adventure

For pilots like ruth law.

Though many people
wanted to try it,

Few had the courage.

Bessie coleman did try it.

She became one of america's
first stunt pilots.

June 15, 1921.

On that day,
history was made.

Bessie coleman became the first
african-american woman

Ever to get
her pilot's license.

In her flying uniform,
bessie was glamorous,

And people treated her
like a movie star,

But even her fans
didn't know her real story.

Bessie coleman's story
began long ago

In the little texas town
of waxahachie.

Bessie's family made
their living picking cotton.

Bessie wanted to
see the world.

When she was old enough,
she moved to chicago.

There, she heard
amazing stories about heroes

Who flew airplanes
during world w*r i.

Bessie was inspiredí

She decided
that she had to fly.

But the year was 1920.

No african-american woman
had ever become a pilot.

No one wanted to teach her.

That didn't stop bessie.

If she couldn't get
flying lessons in america,

She'd try elsewhere.

So she saved her money
and sailed to france.

There, bessie got
the lessons she wanted.

When she returned,
bessie coleman was a star--

The first black woman
to have a pilot's license.

There's bessie,

Wearing her designer uniform
and a big smile.

You can imagine
the crowds that showed up

To watch her perform
in her tiny plane.

They nicknamed her
"queen bess."

Bessie always gave her audience
a terrific show.

But for bessie,
that wasn't enough.

She dreamed of starting
her own school

Where everyone
could learn flying.

Wherever she went,

Bessie coleman
brought excitement and joy.

Bessie coleman wouldn't
let anyone or anything

Stop her from flying.

She was one
of the first women

To blaze her way
across the sky,

But she certainly
wasn't the last.

The year is 1932,

And amelia earhart
is the first woman

To fly solo
across the atlantic ocean.



Amelia crosses the u.s.
In just 17 hours,

A new speed record
for women.

A new invention,
the jet plane,

Makes air travel
even faster.

It's 1953. Pilot jackie cochran
startles the world.

She's the first woman
to break the sound barrier,

Flying more than


Push the art of flying

To new heights
and speeds.

Mission specialists--
like sally ride,

Kathy sullivan,
and mae jemison--

Circle the entire globe
in just 90 minutes.

They work far above earth
and travel to places

Amelia earhart
and jackie cochran

Could only dream of.

These determined
women fliers

Set the course
for pilots who would follow--

Pilots whose dreams of flight
are coming true today.

[Music playing]

[Girl]
I am lizann neptune.

I came to new york
three years ago from trinidad.

I attend george wingate
high school.

Good!

I live with my mother,

My stepfather,

And my two brothers.

[Computer]
yes. Well-done.

I got the opportunity
to learn to fly

From my high school.

Without them,
I don't think

I'd have gotten
the chance to fly.

I have the desire
to do many things.

This is one thing
that stuck with me.

She's doing
what she wanted to do.

I'm excited,
but it's like a dream.

[Mother]
when lizann was 5,

She asked me,
"who's flying the airplane?"

I said, "a guy or woman
called a pilot."

She said, "I want to be
a pilot when I grow up."

[Lizann]
to be a successful flier,

You need a lot of studying,

And you need
a lot of perseverance.

This is something you
absolutely have to want to do.

My mother's the person
who encouraged me to fly

And to be persistent at it.

[Mother]
it isn't important for me

That lizann learn to fly.

It's important to lizann.

As her mother,
I support her.

I'm really happy for her.

I'll do anything
to keep her at it.

You have
your mixture.

You put your
earphones on.

You're real cool.
You're laying back.

[Lizann]
sometimes I'll sit and think,

"I'm 17, and I can fly
an aircraft."

That's a real good feeling.

That's what
my life's about.

We got about seven
in there.

[Lizann]
the majority of my friends

Are very supportive
of my flying.

Some don't think I do it.

"Tell me when you're flying.
I'll pull on my helmet."

I'm like, "anyway..."

The day my mother came
to the airport,

She'd never seen me fly.

It was really something,

A real experience
for both of us.

Taxi to runway 32


Roger.

She's next.

She's next in line.

[Lizza]
clear for takeoff,

Right path.

It's incredible.

Wow!
This is unbelievable.

[Sighs]

She said that she--

It's terrific.

Whoa...
I need to sit down.

[Lizza]
the first time I flew by myself,

I was a little nervous.

You know?

No instructor.
I was totally alone.

[Control tower]
are you ready to
turn yet?

[Lizza]
yes.


Turn right face.

Turn right face.

[Lizza]
although I flew that airplane
lots of times,

It's a different feeling
by myself.

I had to get the feel of it.

After a while,
I was cool about it.

Flying gives you
this sense of control.

You know?

You're just really calm,
and everything's quiet.

You feel really,
really relaxed up there.

There she goes.

Oh, my.
Look at my baby.



Steady...
Steady...

Oh, my god!

Take it easy.
Bring it down.

Get it down.

Down...

Yes!

Beautiful!

All right!

Oh, my god!

Hi, big girl!

Lizann!

Ha ha ha!

You had me crying,

Seeing you
flying up there.

You promised
you wouldn't cry.

Come on here.

[Mother]
wanting to be a pilot
at age 5--

Now that she's
actually a pilot,

It's like a dream.

[Lizann]
I see flying

As out of the ordinary.

That's what inspires me.

I like to go out there
and just do it.

Every day, millions of people
travel by airplane.

Want to take to the skies?

You might get a lift
from these books.

But don't take
my word for it.

Here's a book that
shows you airplanes

In a beautiful
and unusual way.

It's called
plane song.

The whole book
is a poem.

The pictures
are so cool.

This one
makes me feel

Like I'm soaring
over the clouds.

My favorite is one
of the plane

Flying over
new york city.

There's the statue
of liberty!

There were
some airplanes

I wasn't
familiar with,

Like the plane
that fights fires

And the old-fashioned
plane

Called a rag bag

I'm marisol
rosa-shapiro.

I think you'll enjoy
this lovely book.

Plane song
is just the thing

Tout you
in a good mood.

Here's a book about a man

Who did something really great.

His name is charles lindbergh.

The book is flight.

Charles lindbergh was called
the lone eagle.

His dream was
to fly an airplane

From new york city
to paris nonstop.

I wonder how he felt
saying good-bye to friends.

At one point, lindbergh
was caught in thick fog.

That looks scary.

At last, paris.
His dream came true.

He wasn't
the lone eagle anymore.

He was
the most famous man

In the world.

I'm tsewang.

If you want to read

About an american hero,

Try this book-- flight.

Hi. I'm sharise.

Do you like airplanes
and adventure?

If so, this is
the perfect book for you--

Amelia's
fantastic flight.

Amelia loves airplanes.

Off she goes for a spin.

She starts in brazil

And travels
around the world.

She naps in nepal

And is charmed by china.

Each page has
a miniature map

Of where amelia went.

It's egypt!

I've never been
to these places,

But I'd like to go.

Reading this made me feel like
I was sitting with amelia.

Check it out.

Flying gives me
an incredible sense of freedom.

I just love the feeling
of the wind in my face

As I head for the clouds.

I bet those first pilots
felt the same way.

There's just you
and your airplane.

The whole sky
is out there waiting.

I'll see you next time.

Clear prop!

[Engine starting]

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪♪

Today's reading rainbow books
are...

Ruth law thrills a nation,

Story and pictures
by don brown,

Published by ticknor & fields,
a houghton mifflin company.

Plane song by diane siebert,
paintings by vincent nasta,

Published by harpercollins.

Flight by robert burleigh,

Illustrated by mike wimmer,

Published by philomel books,

A division of

The putnam & grosset group.

Amelia's fantastic flight,
by rose bursik,

Published by
henry holt & company.