Ninety-Nines.org: Daring and courageous efforts should be remembered—especially when they result in remarkable achievements. In 1916, a young woman named Ruth Bancroft Law (1887-1970) attempted to do something that no man or woman had done before: fly from Chicago to New York City in one day. It was a dangerous journey that would require nerve and great endurance, and although her original goal had to be altered, she still made history because Law was no ordinary woman or pilot. She was a pioneer.
Law fell in love with flying at an early age and bought her first plane from Orville Wright.1 She received her pilot’s certificate in 1912,2 and almost immediately began exploring new paths in aviation. She perfected aerobatic maneuvers, such as the “loop the loop,” and demonstrated them before mesmerized crowds. Fiercely competitive, she broke the altitude record for women by flying 11,200 feet.3 It was on November 19, 1916, however, that she achieved her greatest feat. She set a new cross-country distance record by flying from Chicago to Hornell, NY. She became the holder of the American record for a distance flight. Her achievement was remarkable, but how she did it was amazing. MORE
Where’s her pussy hat?
Heroism knows no gender, no color, no religion.
Fly on, Ruth. You have reached the stars before I will.
Those early flights were tough, that one especially out front in the breeze. Quite a gal. Lived to 83.
She met Hap Arnold.
Her greatest feat took place on 19 November 1916, when she broke the existing cross-America flight air speed record of 452 miles (728 km) set by Victor Carlstrom by flying nonstop from Chicago to New York State, a distance of 590 miles (950 km). The next day she flew on to New York City. Flying over Manhattan, her fuel cut out, but she glided to a safe landing on Governors Island and was met by United States Army Captain Henry “Hap” Arnold (who changed her spark plugs in the Curtiss pusher), who would one day become Commanding General of the United States Army Air Forces. President Woodrow Wilson attended a dinner held in her honor on 2 December 1916.
https://infogalactic.com/info/Ruth_Law_Oliver
Her older brother:
Rodman Law
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Rodman Law
Born Frederick Rodman Law
1885
Massachusetts
Died October 14, 1919
Greenville, South Carolina
Other names “The Human Fly”
Occupation Parachutist, stuntman, actor
Relatives Ruth Law(sister)
Rodman Law (1885—October 14, 1919)[1] born Frederick Rodman Law was a career parachutist, building climber and later silent movie stuntman and actor. He was the older brother of pioneering aviator Ruth Law Oliver. On February 2, 1912 Law parachuted off the top of the candle of the Statue of Liberty. Law starred in or participated in several silent movies including a 1914 film built around his exploits Daredevil Rodman Law.[2] His female costars in his movies were Claire Whitney, Jean Acker, Ethel Wright, Rosanna Forbes, Beryl Bouton and Constance Bennett, unrelated to the 1930s film actress of the same name.
He died of tuberculosis in October 1919.
https://infogalactic.com/info/Rodman_Law
Thanks MJA, never heard of her.
I just started reading “West with the Night” a memoir by a bush pilot flying in Africa in the 1930s. I was several chapters in before I realized it was a woman! Beautiful storytelling, I got it from an Outside Magazine recommended book list.
A significant, if little known, part of American Aviation history. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Brave woman and very inspirational.
BTW, great website name. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge..*
Great achievement that only a few women can actually do. Not all women need to be a Ruth by law decree, two examples:
1.) When I was flying I got the wife to go up with an instructor, to familiarize her with the control of the plane, in case I slumped over. The instructor told me there was no horizon on the windscreen, they were looking directly at the ground and my wife couldn’t identify the problem.
2.) I’ve need a few crowns over the past year, getting old is a bitch. The first 2 were done by a dude, he shot me up, plowed down the tooth and slapped a temporary on. Last week, I somehow got the lady dentist, I was uncomfortable right from the start. She daintily ground at the tooth taking 20-25 minutes (he was done in 5) and her fucking temporary came off while drinking a beer 2 days later!