Elder, Ruth, 1902-1977

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1902-09-08

Death 1977-10-09

Gender:

Female

Language: English

Biographical notes:

Ruth Elder (born September 8, 1902, Anniston, Alabama – died October 9, 1977, San Franciso, California), aviation pioneer and actress. She carried private pilot certificate P675, and was known as the "Miss America of Aviation." She was a charter member of the Ninety-Nines.

In October 1927 she took off from New York in the Stinson Detroiter American Girl, with George Haldeman as pilot, in an attempt to become the first woman transatlantic airplane flyer. Mechanical problems caused them to ditch the plane 360 miles from the Azores, but they established a new over-water endurance flight record of 2,623 miles.[4] It was also at the time the longest flight ever made by a woman. Rescued by a ship, she and George were honored with a ticker-tape parade upon their return.