In the early part of the century Long Island was known as the "Cradle of Aviation". Most people are familiar with Charles Lindbergh's historic flight across the Atlantic in 1927 from what is now Roosevelt Field. But many other 'firsts' happened here as Long Island once had over 85 airfields! Many were on the Hempstead Plains in the middle of Nassau County. This natural prairie of flat treeless grasslands was a perfect place for an airfield.
This time and place was also right for young women of courage and daring to make a name for themselves. Amelia Earhart is undoubtedly the most recognized woman in aviation. But there are other women pilots during those early days, some from right here on Long Island.
Elinor Smith was born in 1911 and grew up in Freeport. Her father was a vaudeville song and dance man in nearby Manhattan. He loved flying and took Elinor on her first ride when she was 6 years old. She was so thrilled with it here father gave her lessons. Her first solo flight was when she was 15 years sold. This was so unusual that Lindbergh asked to meet her. In 1928, just a few days before her 17th birthday Elinor received her flying license, signed by Orville Wright, making her the youngest licensed pilot in the world.
Perhaps Elinor's most famous flight was actually a stunt she performed at 17, flying under the four East River bridges, the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro. It took expert piloting and technical knowledge as well as nerve to pull this off. It was also frowned upon by the authorities as foolish and dangerous and could have cost Elinor her license. The daring flight was successfully caught on camera for all to see. New York City Mayor, Jimmy Walker grounded Elinor for 10 days, retroactively. The Department of Commerce sent her an official reprimand along with a note from the chief inspector's secretary asking for her autograph. But Elinor wanted to be taken for more than a daredevil and was soon back to practicing to break some records.
In 1928 Elinor celebrated both her 17th birthday and getting her pilot license by setting a new official women's altitude record. She let the plane climb so high she was freezing cold and dizzy. She didn't stop climbing until the gas gauge read empty. Then she came down using the two gallons of gas in the reserve tank. She set the record at 11,663 feet. But records are made to be broken and by 1930 she flew as high as 27,419 ft. to break her own record.
This was surpassed by Ruth Nichols who flew 1,000 feet higher the following year. Elinor really wanted to break that record, but on her next try the engine died at 25,000 ft., her oxygen supply was cut off and she passed out. When she came to she was only 2,000 ft. above the ground and had to crash land between two trees demolishing the plane. Two weeks later she tried again, but the plane's altimeter was wrong and the world record still belonged to Ruth Nichols.
Elinor was soon known as "The Flying Flapper of Freeport" by the press. She went after the women's endurance record trying to break Bobbie Trout's record of 12 hours and 17 minutes in a plane. But it was January and the weather was so bad Elinor decided to wait a while. She went to a dance and got home very late. After sleeping only 3 hours, she got a call that the weather had cleared. Elinor snuck out of the house before her parents could say no and on February 1st broke Bobbie's record by 1 hour and 15 min.. This victory was short lived as two new endurance records were set. Elinor was stubborn and by April 1929 she was set out break Charles Lindbergh's time of 33 1/2 hours, but due to a loose cable, she had to return after 26 hrs. 21 min. 32 sec. She didn't beat Lindbergh's record, but she did set a new women's record that still stands. It's no wonder that in Oct. 1930 Elinor Smith was voted the Best Woman Pilot in the United States at 19 years old.
Elinor married and raising four children brought her flying career to an end. The in the late 1950s she became a founding member of the "Long Island Early Flyers Club. She flew jet trainers for the US Air Force, flying paratroopers participating in war games. In 1981 Elinor wrote Aviatrix, a memoir of her early years in flying. Today she lives in California and gives talks on aviation. Hers is one of the many stories that took place here on Long Island, "The Cradle of Aviation".
Bibliography
A&E TV Daredevils and Dreamers TBA 1997. (preview tape-not shown to
public)
avweb.com
Hodgman, Ann and Jabbaroff, Rudy D. Skystars. The History of Women
in
Aviation. Athenaeum, NY. 1981.
ninety-nines.org
Smith, Elinor. Aviatrix. HBJ, NY. 1981.
Stoff, Joshua. From Airship to Spaceship Long Island in Aviation and
Spaceflight. Heart of Lakes Publishing, Interlaken, NY. 1991