Dr. Louis F. D'Elia, Author at Happy Bottom Riding Club

Vince Barnett Visits the Happy Bottom Riding Club [Part 2]

One evening in June 1949, on invitation from Pancho Barnes, Vince Barnett arrived at the Happy Bottom Riding Club, as usual incognito, however this time dressed as the head chef. His disguise was surprisingly successful, thanks to a carefully sculpted fake mustache, a pristine white chef’s hat, and a kitchen apron that helped to hide his identity from the unsuspecting Club diners. He let the hostesses serving dinners that evening in on his plans for the prank. After ensuring that the dinner service was running smoothly, Barnett decided it was time to make his appearance.

With a flourish of exaggerated French accents and impressive culinary lingo, accompanied by Bella, one of the club’s [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-05-26T04:53:21+00:00May 26, 2023|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Desert Skies and Hayride Highs: An Unforgettable Night at the Happy Bottom Riding Club

One particularly memorable evening at the Happy Bottom Riding Club, the whole gang was gearing up for another hayride and BBQ out in the desert. This time not only was Chuck Yeager attending, but also Pancho Barnes, her loyal Dalmatian dog Barney, ranch foreman Mac Mckendry as well as the head Hostess of the club, the platinum blonde Dallas Morley. They were all eager to join in on the festivities and spend some quality time together.

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-05-05T00:46:05+00:00April 9, 2023|Stories|Comments Off

Bob Hope Pays a Surprise Visit to Pancho Barnes and her Happy Bottom Riding Club

One early evening in October 1951 in the Mojave Desert, the sun was setting on another long day of filming the movie “Son of Paleface.” The cast and crew were tired, but none more so than the movie star, Bob Hope. The legendary comedian decided to take a drive to unwind and clear his head. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he remembered a conversation he’d had with his good friend, comedian Milton Berle. Milton had mentioned a place called the Happy Bottom Riding Club, owned by a fascinating woman named Pancho Barnes. Intrigued, Bob decided it was the perfect time to pay Pancho a visit and surprise her. [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-04-02T18:31:09+00:00April 2, 2023|Stories|Comments Off

Milton Berle Visits the Happy Bottom Riding Club

Milton Berle was a legendary comedian known for his quick wit and outrageous sense of humor. Berle’s “Texico Star Theater” was consistently the top-rated show on TV since debuting in June 1948. Berle’s stature as the mediums first superstar earned him the sobriquet “Mr. Television.” However, because he was also known for doing “anything for a laugh,” he was affectionally referred to as “Uncle Miltie” by his millions of fans.
[Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-03-03T20:03:58+00:00February 19, 2023|Stories|Comments Off

How Did the Happy Bottom Riding Club Get It’s Name?

General Jimmy Doolittle was an accomplished aviator and leader, but he also had a love for horses and horseback riding. Pancho Barnes and General Doolittle had been friends for many years and Doolittle was a frequent visitor to her ranch. One day, in the early 1940s, he visited his old friend Pancho Barnes at her ranch in the Mojave Desert for a horseback ride. [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-02-19T23:58:46+00:00February 18, 2023|Stories|Comments Off

Steak alá Hurrell at the Happy Bottom Riding Club

George Hurrell was internationally known for his talent as a photographer, but little known was the fact that he also had a talent and passion for cooking. In between his work assignments George would often visit the Happy Bottom Riding Club to relax and catch up with his old friend, Pancho Barnes. [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-02-19T23:56:03+00:00February 17, 2023|Stories|Comments Off

Happy Birthday General Chuck Yeager

We salute General Chuck Yeager (February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020), a true American hero, on what would have been his 100th birthday. Among his many achievements, on October 14, 1947, while piloting the experimental Bell X-1, General Yeager became the first to fly faster than the speed of sound. That evening Yeager and his X-1 team celebrated this milestone in aviation with Pancho Barnes at her Happy Bottom Riding Club. Pancho Barnes and General Yeager were close friends. [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2023-02-12T15:07:35+00:00February 11, 2023|News|Comments Off

Happy Bottom Riding Club

The Happy Bottom Riding Club was Pancho Barnes most famous and successful creation. Club members could fly in to Pancho’s FAA approved airport, attend rodeos at her championship rodeo stadium, ride horses from her well-stocked horse corral, dance in her dance hall, have drinks at her bar, eat the best steak of their life in her restaurant, swim in her large circular pool, and then decide to do it all again the next day by checking into her hotel. Additionally, on her 360 acre ranch, she had a thriving dairy, cattle and hog business. During the height of the Happy Bottom Riding Club’s success, there [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2024-07-10T04:36:39+00:00November 11, 2022|Home Page|Comments Off

Interview With Dr. BERNARD OLDFIELD

The following interview is excerpted from the forthcoming book VOICES FROM THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB. Dr. Barney Oldfield was an aircraft design engineer and was head of the flight research instrumentation group for Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, New York. He was a charter member of Pancho’s Happy Bottom Riding Club. His membership card is dated 1942.

My name is Dr. Bernard Oldfield. My friends call me Barney. Although I was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to American parents, I grew up in Buffalo, New York. After University I was hired by the Bell Aircraft Company as head of the Flight Research Instrumentation Group to work on America’s first jet aircraft, the XP-59A. This was a top-secret project, as secret [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2022-11-03T20:55:54+00:00November 3, 2022|Interviews|Comments Off

NEW FLIGHT TEST MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA

The current US Air Force Flight Test Museum is located behind the gates at Edwards Air Force Base. Because the Museum is currently located behind the gates on a top security air base, access is often not possible for non-military personnel.

To make the museum fully accessible to the public, it is currently being rebuilt and relocated to just outside the West Gate to Edwards Air Force Base. As Art Thompson, Board Chairman of the Flight Test Foundation recently noted, “In the new location, the Flight Test Museum seeks to not only preserve and protect the history of flight test but also be the conduit to connect it to a new generation. The developments at Edwards have always [Read More]

By Dr. Louis F. D'Elia|2022-10-26T21:42:24+00:00October 26, 2022|News|Comments Off

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About Dr. Louis F. D'Elia