January 10, 2001
Steadman publishing high-flying memoir
'Tethered Mercury' provides insight on women's aviation
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
How do you tell if you've led an interesting, unusual life? One other people might want to read about?
Bernice Steadman is taking it on faith that her life as a pilot, flight instructor, plane saleswoman, entrepreneur and cross-country airplane racer will be interesting - at least to someone. Throw in her story about qualifying as an astronaut in the Mercury program and you have a unique look at women in aviation during the middle part of the last century.
Steadman is collaborating with local writer Jody Clark to self-publish "Tethered Mercury" in June, a book that gives an inside look at the rich history of women in aviation, from someone who lived it.
With a final draft headed to a local publisher today, she and Clark are wrapping up seven years of work. Never one to rest on her laurels, Steadman will now add co-author and publisher to her list of accomplishments.
Reflecting on her unusual activities in an era when women did not have careers, much less own businesses or race airplanes, Steadman does not recall pausing to consider her actions.
"I think I just figured there wasn't any reason for me not to do those things," said Steadman, who five years ago founded the TC Cab Company with her son and pitches in on driving duties.
"But there were many women ahead of me already doing it. Nine months after the Wright brothers flew the first woman flew, so we can't be kept out of everything."
Being kept out of the Mercury program did happen to her, however. Steadman was one of 25 women in 1961 who participated in extensive physical tests for the Mercury astronaut program. Steadman and 12 others passed the week of testing but the program was dropped without much explanation.
"I heard mention of the program at one of the races I was in," Steadman said. "My name was selected and I had a call from Dr. Loveless. I went to Albuquerque for a week of tests, 80 plus different tests. The eye test alone took four hours."
About ten years ago, Steadman began wondering if her story needed telling when she hooked up with Clark at a conference on women and aviation in St. Louis. The two had met before and Clark was known for her writing in aviation magazines, including "Women in Aviation." Reconnecting later through a mutual friend, the two began discussing Steadman's life and whether to write a book about it.
"I realized by this time that nobody knew Bea's story and the story of the Mercury women physical," Clark said. "People had heard about it and wondered about it. Three months later, I said to myself that the book that Bea is talking about is one I can get my hands on all around."
Steadman and Clark began collaborating in 1993, working in interviews around many other commitments. They kept plugging away slowly and now have a finished manuscript for publication, which includes a combination of her memories and her friends' memories plus a history of women in aviation.
"The writing of this book has been fun and I have kind of searched the gray matter for details," Steadman said. "It really will become a reference book because that segment of aviation has not been written about."
Steadman's passion for flying started young and she has a treasured family photo of her with a toy airplane when she was just three years old. The next year, when Charles Lindbergh flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean, her mother bought her a toy car that looked like the Spirit of St. Louis.
By 18 years old, the Flint native had her pilot's license, acquired even before her driver's license (she used to bike to Bishop Airport for her flying lessons.) Thus began her career as a flight instructor, ground school instructor and charter pilot flying General Motors executives around. She also sold Piper airplanes and a variety of used airplanes, eventually constructing her own office building for her business, called Trimble Aviation.
Being a young single woman running a business in the 1950s had its pitfalls, she learned.
"At that time, you could not even get a loan as a woman without your husband's signature," recalled Steadman, who married her husband, Bob, in 1959. "If you were single, watch out."
She ironed out that wrinkle by researching banking and how to talk to bankers at the library. Her straightforward approach and confidence got her the loan she needed to buy inventory and sell airplanes.
"I told him just give me a year," she said. "I sold everything in six months."