Viewing page 13 of 15

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Marjorie Stinson
Early Wright Pilot- Instructor 

Born at Fort Payne, Ala., the younger sister of Katherine Stinson, Marjorie became intrigued and envious of Katherine's flying successes and entered the Wright Flying School, at Dayton, Ohio, in mid-June, 1914. She was taught to fly by Howard Rinehart, and by August 1st was ready for her license tests. August 8, 1914 she obtained License No. 303 on a Wright. August 16th she was joined by Katherine, who was flying at Kansas City, and made her first public exhibition flights there. Together they made their headquarters at Cicero Flying Field, Chicago Ill. where she continued to practice through the Fall of 1914.

In 1915, she continued practicing and did some teaching, including instructions to her brother, Edward. Also, in May of 1915, she made arrangements to start a mail carrying route between points in Texas, but this did not work out. Toward the end of 1915, she, with Katherine and Edward, established their own flying field and school at San Antonio, Texas, and in January, 1916, they had fourteen pupils. Later, their school turned out many World War I pilots, both United States and Canadian. 

On May 13, 1916 she flew over the San Antonio, Texas, during a National Guard celebration and great local interest was shown in her flight. During the Summer of 1916 she did considerable flying at various mid-Western points. That Summer she and Katherine made their exhibition headquarters at the newly established Ashburn Field, Chicago, where they both flew on July 4th. Among her exhibition dates that season were: 3 days at Chicago Heights the latter part of July; Cleveland, Ohio September 2 - 9th; Napoleon, Ohio, September 18th and at Ashburn Field, Chicago, October 30th. In September, she started flying a new 50 Gnome tractor, built for her by Walter Brock, in addition to her Wright, at Ashburn Field.

In 1917 she had their School operating and organized a group of interested civilians in flight instruction, known as the "Texas Escadrille", many of whom later went overseas in World War I. At that time she became known as "The Flying Schoolmarm". She continued to train students at the Stinson School through 1918. After World War I, in the Spring of 1919, she went with the Navy Department in Washington, D. C., in one of their drafting departments, where she remained until 1926 when she transferred to the War Department in Washington, in their engine drafting Department, remaining there until she retired in 1936.

Following this, she did some writing for various aviation magazines. While her flying career was distinctly less sensational than that of her sister Katherine, she nevertheless deserves full credit for her courage as an early pioneer woman pilot and instructor. She is a member of the Early Birds, still living in Arlington, Va.

[[Image: Picture of smiling Marjorie Stinson seated at controls of her airplane]]