Page 17 - Ruth Law

RUTH LAW
DAYTONA'S PIONEER AVIATOR

Law volunteered to fly in combat during World War I, but
instead she was found selling Liberty Bonds and raising
money for the Red Cross with exhibition flights. She
wrote an article for Air Travel titled "Let Women Fly!" in
protest, and it inspired many future women aviators.

After World War I, Ruth Law and her plane toured
Europe, China, Japan and the Philippines.

Ruth and her husband Charles Oliver formed "Ruth Law's
Flying Circus" in 1920, a three-plane group that
astonished spectators at state and county fairs by racing
against cars and flying through fireworks. Often she
could be seen climbing from the cockpit to stand on the
wing while another pilot did the flying. At the peak of
her career, in 1921, she was earning $9000 per week.

In 1922, Ruth Law announced her retirement in the
newspaper. Her husband could no longer bear his wife's
hazardous occupation. She said, "It's my husband's turn
now. I've been in the limelight long enough. I'm going
to let him run things hereafter and me, too. I'm a
normal woman and want a home, a baby, and everything
else that goes with married life. Of course, I'm just
crazy about flying, but one's husband is more
important."

HER PLACE IN AVIATION HISTORY
14