At 16, she flew under all four NYC bridges – the only pilot who ever has

Elinor Smith’s Record-Breaking Rise at Bellanca Airfield

Elinor Smith first sat in a plane at age six with blocks tied to the rudder pedals so her feet could reach. By 16, she held the world’s youngest pilot license, signed by Orville Wright himself.

Soon after, she stunned New York by flying under all four East River bridges. In 1929, she set a 26.5-hour endurance record in a Bellanca monoplane, catching Giuseppe Bellanca’s eye. He quickly hired her as the first woman test pilot at his New Castle, Delaware factory.

Fellow pilots then voted her “Best Woman Pilot in America” over Amelia Earhart in 1930. The Bellanca Airfield Museum in New Castle now tells her groundbreaking story through rare photographs and artifacts.

A Six-Year-Old Girl Falls In Love With Flying

Elinor Smith first flew in 1917 when she was just six. The New York City girl went up in an old biplane and fell in love with flying.

By age 10, she took flying lessons with Russ Holderman, who put blocks on the rudder pedals so her small feet could reach them. Smith showed natural talent that surprised her teachers.

Her family fully supported her dreams, which wasn’t common in the 1920s when people kept girls away from “dangerous” activities like flying planes.

Orville Wright Signs License For 16-Year-Old Aviation Prodigy

In September 1927, Elinor Smith became the youngest person to get a government pilot’s license in the United States at age 16.

Orville Wright himself signed her license, just 24 years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk.

This license meant the flying world officially accepted Smith’s skills, despite her young age and being female in a field full of men.

The Daredevil Stunt Nobody Has Ever Matched

Elinor pulled off her most famous stunt in October 1928 when she flew under all four East River bridges in New York City in one flight.

She flew through tight spaces with tricky winds under the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges.

The stunt got her lots of attention in newspapers across the country and a scolding from flying officials.

Freezing Night Flight Smashes Women’s Record

Smith took on her first big endurance challenge in January 1929, flying alone for 13 hours and 16 minutes in freezing winter weather.

She stayed up through the night in an open cockpit biplane with cold air hitting her face for hours. This flight broke the women’s solo endurance record.

Aircraft companies noticed the young pilot who could handle such tough flying conditions.

Young Woman Conquers Massive Monoplane For New Record

In April 1929, Smith doubled her previous record by flying a Bellanca CH monoplane for 26 hours and 31 minutes straight. She became the first woman to fly such a large, powerful aircraft on a long solo flight.

The Bellanca was much more complex than the simple open-cockpit biplanes she flew before.

This record-setting flight happened in a plane built at Giuseppe Bellanca’s factory, which moved to New Castle, Delaware in 1928.

Bellanca Spots Talent And Breaks Gender Barrier

Giuseppe Bellanca hired Smith as a demo pilot in 1929 after watching her break records in his aircraft. This made her the first woman test pilot for Bellanca Aircraft Corporation in New Castle, Delaware.

Her job involved showing the abilities of new Bellanca planes to buyers and reporters.

This job marked a big step for women in flying, as test piloting was one of the hardest and most respected jobs in flying, once only for men.

Teen Pilot Juggles Two Groundbreaking Jobs

By 1930, Smith added another first, becoming the first woman test pilot for both Bellanca Aircraft Corporation and Fairchild Aviation at the same time.

At just 18, she also got her U.S. Transport License, making her the youngest pilot ever to get this key license that let her fly people and cargo for money.

Smith held these two major jobs while most girls her age were just finishing high school.

Four Miles Up Without Modern Equipment

Smith set the women’s height record in 1930 by flying a Bellanca aircraft to 27,419 feet, more than four miles above the ground.

The flight forced her to use extra oxygen and special gear to live through the extreme cold and thin air at that height. Many men claimed this kind of work was too hard for women.

The record added another big win to the growing list of flying records set in planes built at the Bellanca factory in Delaware.

Fellow Pilots Choose Smith Over Famous Earhart

In October 1930, licensed pilots across America voted in a nationwide poll for the best pilots in the country.

Smith won the title of “Best Woman Pilot in America,” beating Amelia Earhart who was already famous for crossing the Atlantic. Jimmy Doolittle won best male pilot in the same poll.

This honor from fellow flyers meant more than public popularity contests because it came from people who truly understood flying.

Breakfast Of Champions Features Female Flyer

Smith broke another barrier in 1934 when she became the first woman ever shown on a Wheaties cereal box. Before this, only male sports heroes and flying pioneers got this honor.

Appearing on the “Breakfast of Champions” box brought Smith’s success into American homes and showed that women flyers were gaining acceptance in popular culture.

This marketing first helped make Smith a household name and inspired girls across the country to think about careers in flying.

Life After The Golden Age Of Flight

Elinor Smith retired from professional flying in 1933 when she got married.

She focused on raising her four children for many years, stepping away from the spotlight of aviation. After her husband died in 1956, Smith returned to the cockpit and started flying again for pleasure.

She wrote her autobiography “Aviatrix,” telling the story of her groundbreaking career in early aviation.

Smith lived to the remarkable age of 98, passing away on March 19, 2010, leaving behind a legacy that helped prove women could excel in aviation’s most demanding roles.

Visiting New Castle, Delaware

You can learn about aviation pioneer Elinor Smith at the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, housed in a 1936 Air Service Hangar at 2 Centerpoint Blvd in New Castle.

Smith became America’s first woman test pilot here in 1929 after setting world records in Bellanca planes.

The historic hangar is on the National Register and offers self-guided tours on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from April through October, 11am to 3pm. Admission costs $5 for adults.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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