Laura Bromwell

Laura Bromwell
Born(1897-05-17)May 17, 1897
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJune 5, 1921(1921-06-05) (aged 24)
Mineola, Long Island, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathPlane crash
OccupationAviator
Years active1919–1921

Laura Bromwell (May 17, 1897 – June 5, 1921) was an early 20th-century American aviator. She held the loop the loop record and a speed record. She was killed in an aviation accident in 1921.[1][2]

Biography

Bromwell was born on May 17, 1897, in Cincinnati, Ohio.[2]

Bromwell received her pilot's license in 1919. She was the first female member of the New York Aerial Police Reserve.[2]

Bromwell set a loop the loop record of 87 loops in 1 hour and 15 minutes on August 20, 1920.[3] She extended this to 199 loops in 1 hour and 20 minutes on May 15, 1921.[4] She also set a speed record of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) over a 2-mile (3.2 km) course.[1][2]

Death

On June 5, 1921, Bromwell was performing stunts in a borrowed Curtiss JN Canuck airplane at Mitchel Field in Mineola, Long Island, when the plane stalled. Bromwell was unfamiliar with the aircraft and its controls. It is thought that when the plane was inverted she lost contact with the foot pedals for a long enough period to lose control. The plane crashed to the ground, killing her.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Women Flyer Falls 1,000 Ft. to Her Death". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 6, 1921. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "License, Aviator Pilot, Civilian, Laura Bromwell". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Aviatrix Makes 87 Loops". Middletown Transcript. Mineola, Long Island. August 21, 1920. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Aviatrix Makes 199 Loops in One Trip". The Boston Globe. Mineola, Long Island. May 16, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.