Women pilots gather for a portrait at Bettis Field, West Mifflin

These women are likely gathered at Bettis Field for a competition known as the “Debutantes Beer Derby.” In 1933, with Prohibition recently repealed and beer back on the menu, the Hofbrau Restaurant sponsored an all-women race from Bettis Field in West Mifflin to downtown Pittsburgh and back. Local pilot Helen Ball (center) won the $500 prize.