The Beech Model 17 Staggerwing was created during the American Great Depression of the 1930s, specifically as a premier business executive transport. It first flew in November 1932, and set the standard for private passenger air travel for many years. Its unique negative wing stagger maximized pilot visibility, making it easily recognizable. It held many speed and climb records through the 1930s, winning the Texaco Trophy Race in 1933 and the Bendix Trophy Race in 1936. In 1937, aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran set the woman's world speed record at 203 mph in 1937 in a Staggerwing.