EVE IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 190, 9 May 1931, Page 12

EVE IN THE AIR

Registered Women Pilots HUNDREDS IN AMERICA What are the prospects for women in aviation? Now that the world’s youngest industry has emerged from babyhood and adolescence, American women are seeking an answer to this question. The hazards and adventure of flying appeal strongly to the enterprising modern girl, but the opportunities for earning a living have yet to be exploited, states a writer in the “Daily Mail.” Seeking to learn what American women hope to do in this new field, I asked the opinion of Miss Elinor Smith, as she awaited her turn to step before a microphone and talk of flying to an unseen audience. Miss Smith is making a four-figure living out of aviation, although she is not yet in her twenties. At the age of fifteen, when many city girls are guided by anxious parents across crowded streets, Miss Smith made her why by air across America and back. The first requisite, she explained, is a sufficient number of solo flying hours to gain a commercial license. In the Unit- ' ed States this number is 250 hours, representing at least a year’s conscientious training. At present nearly 500 American women are registered Drawn from such varied walks of life'as society women, school teachers, telephone operators, and waitresses, by far the majority are private pilots, not permitted to risk anybody’s life but their own. The expensive training is one of the great difficulties women face who wish to enter the profession. To remove this obstruction she urges that every Government should establish a reserve flying corps for women. Such a force would be invaluable in wartime as an auxiliary to the fighting pilots. Miss Smith still finds a prejudice against her sex in the flying world. She does not think that American women will ever be allowed to carry a day or night mail, owing to official obstinacy' that the job is too arduous for the “gentler” sex. Also women find it difficult to get the backing that enables their male rivals to score some of their greatest successes. Captain Hawks, for instance, flies an airplane built by an oil company at a cost of £5OOO. In it he is doing his amazingly spectacular flights in record times. Yet she will not admit that women cannot do everything that men achieve in the air. She gives her sex one great “air” advantage—women weigh less. She is confident that with a really, first-class machine, such as the Army allows its top-notch fliers, the speed and altitude reeords now held so easily by men could be equalled and surpassed by women. Miss Smith herself, and Miss Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross ,the Atlantic by' airplane, are two examples of American women’s success in commercial aviation.. Miss Smith is not.only employed by a private company as a transport pilot, but she also broadcasts important aviation events for the National Broadcasting Company. Miss Earhart is vice-president' of the New York, Philadelphia and Washington Airways Corporation, a recently-formed company which is already a profitable venture.

In her advice to women Miss Smith knows no short cuts in the profession. You must know your machine perfectly, and have absolute control of it. These twin requirements mastered, she advises women that a useful and exciting career Um ahead.'