Ruth Elder: Florida’s Flying Flapper
Ruth Elder may have originally hailed from Anniston, Alabama but when she first rose to nationwide fame at the age of 23, she was celebrated as the “Florida Girl” and “Lakeland beauty queen” who had set her sights on becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air. Her subsequent flight across the Atlantic, with co-pilot George Haldeman in October, 1927, was an incredible tale of risk and daring told in inch-high newspaper headlines that captured the public’s attention for months.
After Lindbergh’s successful solo flight from New York to Paris in May 1927, there were several other attempts by fliers to cross the Atlantic. Sadly, most ended in tragedy. So much so that when Elder announced in August of 1927 that she and Haldeman would trace Lindbergh’s route the decision was widely criticized as foolhardy. But Elder refused to be deterred. The Lakeland dental assistant had been taught how to fly by former WWI veteran flier Haldeman two years previously and had performed as a stunt flier at fairs and exhibitions. The idea of crossing the Atlantic had first been suggested by “Lakeland sportsmen” backed by West Virginia “capitalists.” It was a bet, a dare, a challenge — and Elder, who basked in the publicity, was all for it.
After almost two months of preparation (including getting her pilot’s license), Elder and Haldeman took off from Roosevelt Field in New York for Le Bourget field in Paris on October 11th. They were flying a yellow and maroon, custom-built Stinson monoplane (landplane) dubbed the “American Girl.” “Plane has no radio but is equipped with rubber float,” declared the subtitles of a Miami News article covering the story. Miss Elder apparently also wore a Chinese Ring, and took along a small bible given to her by her mother as well as a toy cat, for luck. She had sent several trunks of new clothing on ahead to Paris so that she could show them “what the American Girl is wearing.”
It turned out that the plane didn’t even have a rubber float (Miss Elder later remarked that she didn’t think one was necessary) but instead, the fliers took rubber swimsuits. Which was a good thing, because they needed them. On October 13, after not hearing from the fliers since their departure from New York two days prior, with the maximum time the plane could remain in the air at its limit and several hours overdue in Paris, the Associated Press reported that Miss Elder and Mr. Haldeman were safe after having been forced down in an ocean landing next to the Dutch steamship Barendrecht due to a leak in the oil line of the plane.
“Landed by steamship Barendrecht with broken oil line. Both Haldeman and myself okey. Ruth Elder” said the message radioed from the Barendrecht.
Incredibly, with Haldeman at the controls, the landplane had been able to put down alongside the Barendrecht in the high seas and remained afloat. Prior to landing, the plane had dropped a note on the deck of the Barencrecht asking how far it was to land. The crew painted “360 miles off Terceira, Azores,” on the deck. A few minutes later the plane cut its engines and settled alongside the ship. In only minutes, despite very rough seas, the crew lowered a boat and were able to take the fliers aboard. Miss Elder was reportedly wearing her rubber swimsuit but not Mr. Haldeman and Miss Elder reportedly requested that Mr. Haldeman be rescued first. After they were safely aboard, the crew tried to salvage the plane but as they attempted to hoist it onboard, it exploded in flames and dropped back into the sea.
After being taken to Horta, in the Azores, by the Barendrecht, where they were met by a cheering throng, Elder and Haldeman went by boat to Lisbon and then on to Paris. Though they had failed in their goal to reach Paris by plane, Elder and Haldeman still set a new world distance record for a flight over water. The 36-hour journey, called “a glorious failure” by the press, was also the longest flight made by a woman up to that time.
At left: Photo of Miss Elder published in Fort Lauderdale News, September 28, 1927
