Katherine Stinson's Laird Biplane at the Tri-State Fair, October 1916

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Artifact Overview

Katherine Stinson flew this biplane, designed by Emil "Matty" Laird, at Memphis, Tennessee, in October 1916. Stinson was only the fourth American woman to earn a pilot's license, and she consistently dazzled spectators with her skilled stunt flying. Though in her 20s, the petite Stinson looked even younger. The press took to calling her the "Flying Schoolgirl."

Artifact Details

Artifact

Negative (Photograph)

Subject Date

October 1916

Creators

Collection Title

Katherine Stinson Photograph Collection

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

38.855.15

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 2.75 in
Width: 4.5 in

Keywords
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    Petite Katherine Stinson looked younger than her 21 years when she earned her pilot's license in 1912. The press dubbed her the "Flying Schoolgirl." But Stinson was among the best exhibition flyers of the pre-World War I era. The "tractor" mentioned in the caption is her airplane. Planes with propellers in front of their engines are called tractors, as opposed to rear-propeller pushers.
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