Literary Aviatrix Classics: Aviatrix by Elinor Smith — The Flying Flapper Who Outsmarted Putnam, Outflew the Boys, and Spilled All the Aviation Tea

Literary Aviatrix Classics: Aviatrix by Elinor Smith — The Flying Flapper Who Outsmarted Putnam, Outflew the Boys, and Spilled All the Aviation Tea

Author: Liz Booker - Pilot, Writer, Aviation Diversity Advocate October 20, 2025 Duration: 2:26:09
Send us Fan Mail Hold on to your flight goggles — this episode might be our juiciest Literary Aviatrix Classics yet. In this roundtable, Dr. Jacque Boyd, Captain Jenny Beatty, and I dive into Aviatrix: The Story of Elinor Smith, the 1981 memoir of the teenage pilot who took the 1920s aviation world by storm. Elinor Smith — “The Flying Flapper of Freeport” — was famous for flying under New York’s East River bridges at just seventeen, setting endurance and altitude records, and standing toe-to-...

Hosted by pilot and writer Liz Booker, Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story-Women in Aviation explores the rich intersection of flight and narrative. Each episode features conversations with authors who have placed women aviators at the heart of their work, spanning fiction and nonfiction, from forgotten historical figures to contemporary pioneers. You’ll hear about the specific challenges and triumphs these stories uncover, moving beyond simple biography to understand the deeper cultural and personal forces at play. This podcast is driven by a dual mission: to celebrate these compelling books and to dissect the craft behind them. In dedicated Writers' Room segments, Liz and her guests delve into the practical aspects of storytelling, offering insights on research, writing, and the publishing process for anyone interested in adding their own voice to this genre. It’s more than an interview series; it’s a resource and a community, championing diversity in the skies and on the page. Tune in for a unique blend of literary analysis and aviation passion, all grounded in Liz Booker’s perspective as an advocate for broader representation in both fields.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation
Podcast Episodes
Flying Around Australia: Author and general aviation pilot Fran West talks about Plane Reflections about her three-month flight around Australia’s coastline—weather, grit, and why turning back is sometimes the bravest choice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:44
Send us Fan Mail Australian private pilot and author Fran West joins me to talk about her remarkable three-month journey flying around the coastline of Australia in a Cessna 172—an adventure she later captured in her pho…
Aviatrix Classics: Pioneer Ruth Nichols’ Wings for Life—record-setting flights, devastating crashes, and the resilience to find purpose that joined aviation skill with Quaker compassion to deliver air relief worldwide. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:41:47
Send us Fan Mail In this deeply immersive Literary Aviatrix Classics conversation Dr. Jacque Boyd, Captain Jenny Beatty and I discuss Wings for Life, the extraordinary memoir of pioneering aviatrix Ruth Nichols. Nichols’…