Elinor Smith

Daughter of vaudeville comedian and dancer Tom Smith. She knew she was born to fly at the age of 6 when she took her first airplane ride. She started taking lessons at the age of 8. She was fortunate at that time to have parents who supported her in what she wanted to do. Her mother didn't want to deny her daughter opportunities just because of her gender and her father had always had a passion for planes. These things helped her in her quest to fly. Her first world record was the endurance record she set on January 31, 1929 of 13 hours, 16 minutes, and 45 seconds. During that flight was the first time she had ever landed at night. In April of 1929, Elinor again broke the endurance record making it now 26 hours, 23 minutes, and 16 seconds. Elinor then married a year or two later and had two children. While she was pregnant with her third child, she thought maybe she shouldn't be flying; that she should be home taking care of the children. So, she quit flying. Almost 25 years passed before she piloted a plane again.