Ruth King

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Ruth Elder (1902-1977) was a pilot 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 1927 she took off from New York in the airplane American Girl, with her co-pilot, George Haldeman, in an attempt to become the first woman to duplicate Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic crossing to Paris. Mechanical problems caused them to ditch the plane 360 miles from land, but they established a new over-water endurance flight record of 2,623 miles. It was also at the time the longest flight ever made by a woman. She and George were honored with a ticker-tape parade upon their return.

In 1929 she entered the first Women's Air Derby, flying in her Swallow, NC8730, and placed fifth.

She starred in Moran of the Marines (1928) and Glorifying the American Girl (1929). She married six times, lastly to Ralph King, to whom she was married for 21 years and who outlived her. She had suffered emphysema for several years before she died. She had one son, William Trent Gillespie(1940-2008), from her marriage to movie effects pioneer A. Arnold Gillespie.

In 2013 a children's book was published about her, written by Julie Cummins and illustrated by Malene R. Laugesen, titled, Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America's Heart. Pilot, Actress. Known as “Miss America of Aviation,” she was the first woman to attempt a flight across the Atlantic from the United States to Europe, just five months after Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. Her airplane was a new Stinson 'Detroiter' - a single-engine, high-wing monoplane that she called “American Girl.” On October 11, 1927, she and her co-pilot, Captain George Haldeman, took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York. Stormy weather and a leaking oil line forced them to ditch in the Atlantic about 300 miles short of the Azores. Ruth had spent nine hours at the controls. The two aviators were rescued by a Dutch oil tanker, the “Barendrecht." As her plane was being hoisted on deck, it caught fire and was totally destroyed. Though they did not successfully reach their destination, they did fly about 2600 miles nonstop. This flight established a new over-water endurance flight record and also was the longest flight ever made by a woman at that time. New York City honored them with a ticker-tape parade when they returned. In 1929 she flew in the first Women's Air Derby, competing with 20 other female aviators of the time including Amelia Earhart. This nine-day race from Santa Monica to Cleveland was later dubbed the "Powder Puff Derby." Two-and-a-half months after the Derby, Ruth and the other Derby participants formed a group called the “Ninety-Nines” – a group of 99 licensed women fliers in America who advocated women's involvement in flying. She continued as a member until she died. Ms. Elder was a silent film actress who starred with the popular Richard Dix in the 1928 film Moran of the Marines and also appeared in Fashion News. She was married seven times, to C.E. Moody, Lyle Womack, Walter Camp Jr., G.K. Thackery, Arnold Gillespie, and twice to Ralph King. (bio by: [fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=46964248" target="_blank Star Kline)]

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 11 2016, 22:12:53 UTC