Hilder Florentina Smith

Hilder Florentina Youngberg Smith (August 10, 1890 – January 11, 1977) was an aerial acrobat, parachutist, and pioneer aviator. She was one of California's first female pilots and the first woman to fly an airplane from LAX. Hilder was a member of a flying aerial team called The Flying Sylvesters.

Biography Born to Swedish parents Andrew G. Youngberg (1853-1935) and Frida A. Flard (1853-1963) on August 10, 1890, as Hilder Florentina Youngberg. She married James Floyd Smith on May 11, 1907. Together they barnstormed thru southern California for five years with the Flying Sylvesters. In the summer of 1912, when Hilder and Frank Shaw helped Floyd build his own airplane, Floyd added dual controls to fly with Hilder. They had two sons, Sylvester Smith (1908-1919) and Prevost Vedrines Smith (1913–1991) aka Prevost Floyd Smith. In 1919 at age 11, Sylvester was tragically killed by a car in Chicago.

Glenn L. Martin needed a female parachutist to jump into the opening ceremonies of the new Los Angeles Harbor. Hilder had never jumped before but made a deal to jump twice if she could use Martin's airplanes with flight lessons from her husband.

On June 10, 1914, with flight instruction from her spouse, Hilder Smith made her first solo flight in Martin's airplane. She is buried at the Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation in California.