Elly Beinhorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elly Beinhorn
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Elly Beinhorn (center) with Bernd Rosemeyer and Ferdinand Porsche
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| Born | 30 May 1907 Hanover, Germany
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| Died | 28 November 2007 (aged 100) Ottobrunn, Germany
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| Occupation | Pilot |
| Spouse(s) | Bernd Rosemeyer (1909–1938) (m. 1936–1938) (his death) |
Elly Beinhorn (born May 30, 1907 – died November 28, 2007) was a brave and famous German pilot. She was known for her amazing long-distance flights around the world.
Contents
Life of a Pilot
Starting to Fly
Elly Beinhorn was born in Hanover, Germany, on May 30, 1907. When she was 21, in 1928, she went to a talk by a famous pilot named Hermann Köhl. He had just flown across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west. This talk made Elly want to fly more than anything.
Even though her parents didn't want her to, Elly used money from a small inheritance. She moved to Berlin and started taking flying lessons. Her teacher was Otto Thomsen. Soon, she flew a small plane, a Klemm KL-20, all by herself.
Elly started to run out of money. So, she began doing aerobatic shows on weekends. These were exciting displays of stunts in the air. While this helped her earn money, she really wanted to do long-distance flying.
Amazing Long Flights
In 1931, Elly got a chance to fly to Portuguese Guinea in West Africa for a science trip. On her way back, her plane's engine stopped working. She had to crash-land in the Sahara desert.
Luckily, nomadic Tuareg tribesmen helped her. Elly joined their camel caravan to Timbuktu. Later, she went back to her plane to get some parts. French officials heard about her and sent a military plane to pick her up.
In April 1931, Elly flew back to Berlin. Crowds of people were there to welcome her home.
Soon after, she started another big flight. Her plane had problems near Bushire, Iran. There, she met another pilot, Moye Stephens. He helped her fix her plane. Moye Stephens and writer Richard Halliburton were flying around the world in their plane, "The Flying Carpet." Elly flew with them for part of their journey.
She continued her flight to Bali and then to Australia. By doing this, she became the second woman to fly solo from Europe to Australia. The first was Amy Johnson.
After landing in Darwin, Australia, she flew to Sydney. Her plane was taken apart and sent by ship to New Zealand, then to Panama. There, it was put back together. Elly then flew along the western coast of South America. She even received a medal in Peru. After a difficult trip over the Andes mountains, her plane was again taken apart. It was shipped back to Germany. Elly arrived in Berlin in June 1932.
Elly was now very famous, but she had a lot of debt. She was surprised and happy to receive the Hindenburg Cup. This award came with money and other prizes from German aviation companies. This helped her continue her flying career. She also wrote articles and sold photos of her travels to earn more money.
Free of debt, she flew to Africa in a Heinkel He 71 plane. She flew along the east coast and then back along the west coast. The next year, Elly shipped her plane to Panama. She then flew through Mexico and California. After that, she crossed the United States to Washington D.C. and Miami. She and her plane returned to Germany by ship in January 1935.
Marriage and Family Life
On September 29, 1935, Elly went to a car race in Czechoslovakia. She was there for a lecture tour. She met the winner, Bernd Rosemeyer, a famous race car driver. They fell in love and got married on July 13, 1936.
They became a very famous couple in Nazi Germany. She was an adventurous pilot, and he was a fearless racer. They had a son, Bernd Jr., in November 1937.
Just ten weeks after their son was born, Bernd Rosemeyer died in a car crash. He was trying to set a speed record. He was a national hero, and many people in Germany were sad. Elly received messages of sympathy from important Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler. She wanted a simple funeral, but the Nazis took over the ceremony. They gave speeches and tried to claim Bernd as their own. Some stories say Elly walked away in protest.
Life After the War
In 1941, Elly married Dr. Karl Wittman. They had a daughter named Stephanie.
After World War II, Germany banned powered flights for a short time. So, Elly started flying gliders. Soon, she moved to Switzerland to keep flying planes. In 1979, when she was 72 years old, she stopped flying and gave up her pilot's license.
Later Years
In her later years, Elly Beinhorn lived in Ottobrunn, Germany. Her son, Dr. Bernd Rosemeyer, became a successful doctor.
Elly Beinhorn passed away on November 28, 2007. She was 100 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Elly Beinhorn para niños
