7 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁in ▁Pitts burgh . ▁James ▁was ▁initially ▁afraid ▁of ▁flying , ▁but ▁she ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁ear n ▁her ▁pilot ' s ▁license ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁attract ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁a ▁pilot , ▁named ▁Bill , ▁she ▁had ▁a ▁cr ush ▁on . ▁James ▁had ▁seen ▁a ▁plane ▁w reck ▁the ▁year ▁before ▁she ▁started ▁flying ▁and ▁shortly ▁after , ▁her ▁brother ▁had ▁also ▁nearly ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁plane ▁crash . ▁Bill ▁invited ▁her ▁to ▁fly ▁and ▁she ▁went ▁with ▁him ▁and ▁later ▁learned ▁to ▁fly ▁to ▁impress ▁him . ▁Her ▁first ▁flight ▁took ▁place ▁from ▁the ▁Wil kins burg ▁Airport ▁on ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁James ▁learned ▁to ▁fly ▁with ▁a ▁friend , ▁Harry ▁F ogle , ▁in ▁an ▁O X - 5 ▁power ed ▁Tra vel ▁Air ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁began ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁st unt ▁pilot ▁with ▁F ogle ▁and ▁his ▁friends . ▁In ▁her ▁st unt ▁debut , ▁she ▁made ▁$ 5 0 ▁and ▁performed ▁an ▁aer ial ▁spin ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁ 1 / 2 ▁rot ations ▁as ▁she ▁dove . ▁She ▁and ▁F ogle ▁were ▁bil led ▁as ▁the ▁" G irl ▁St unt ▁Pil ot " ▁and ▁" The ▁F lying ▁I c eman ." ▁Her ▁signature ▁st unt ▁move ▁was ▁a ▁ 2 6 - turn ▁spin . ▁James ▁also ▁started ▁ice ▁sk ating ▁after ▁pil ots ▁she ▁worked ▁with ▁" p ract ically ▁d ared "