- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) pointing out the White House during a 1933 night flight they took on impulse following a formal dinner party. Eleanor took the controls for a few seconds, and always wanted to qualify as a pilot. She passed her physical exam and Earhart promised her lessons, but F.D.R. objected. Always an enthusiastic passenger, Mrs. Roosevelt publicly promoted flying as fun and advantageous to the general public, voicing her enthusiasm in household magazines and by example. A leading exponent of both women’s achievements and aviation, she said “Each time I hear of new honors won by women flyers, there is a warm feeling of congratulation in my heart for those brave girls.”
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