Father: Arthur B Hofheimer from Kentucky, Mother Helen Wolf [Milius, d. 1960] from Savannah Georgia (5 daughters) Her grandfather Nathan Hofheimer (d. 1927) was one of the founders of General Motors Corporation; they had a 3-400 acre estate in Warrenville, NJ. Her father Arthur was a wealthy stockbroker. née Aline Rhonie Hofheimer Ed. Dalton School, NYC. She was a keen horsewoman. The Hofheimers (Albert, Helen and 4 of their children Doris, (b. 1907 NYC), Aline, Helene (b. 1914 Warrenville NJ), and Natalie (b. 1917 Warrenville, NJ)) sailed from France to the USA in Sep 1926. m. 1928 in Manhattan, L Richard Bamberger (divorced 1930) She bought her first aeroplane in 1931, learnt to fly in Reno, NV and earned her transport license in December 1931. m. 1933 in Brookyn, "society aviator and nephew of Lady Astor", Richard Langhorne Brooks. "Using separate planes, they went on a 17,000 mile aerial honeymoon." (divorced 1937)
Royal Aero Club Certificate 28 Sep 1939, on 'USA Commercial Licence'. She joined the Women's Voluntary Service and "helped evacuate London", then went to France in 1940 with the Red Cross before returning to the USA where she was the official representative for the Ambulance Corps of France, raising money for the Allied cause. prev exp: 2,713 hrs in England, France, USA and Mexico prev: portrait and landscape painter; fresco mural artist;
Part of the Hofheimer family estate, owned by Aline, was sold in Jun 1943; "50 acres of artistically landscaped grounds, colonial residence completely furnished, garage, stables, swimming pool and two lakes." prev. WAFS (Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, set up in Sep 1942 by Nancy Harkness Love with 27 highly-experienced women pilots) Address in 1943: 930 Fifth Ave, NYC Postings: 5FPP, 12FPP "With some 2,000 hrs experience before joining ATA this pilot's flying gave very little indication at the commencement of her training of this considerable past experience and she had difficulty in changing her ideas to that required by ATA. Her navigation was below standard and she needed additional hours to bring her up to the required standard." "Her flying was slow and not dependable" Renewed her Royal Aero Club Certificate (20367) on 28 Oct 1944 Contract Terminated by ATA - Disciplinary ("Failure to report to Senior Medical Officer Thame for admission to Station Sick Quarters where a bed was being reserved for her") ATA Total: 162 hrs on Magister, Proctor, Fairchild, Harvard, Spitfire, Oxford, Hurricane, Lysander, Master, Reliant, Swordfish and Moth.
Later, President and Chairman of the Board of Allison Radar Corp. d. 7 Jan 1963 (age 54) - Long Island Her ashes were scattered in the sea from an aeroplane, and she is commemorated on the memorial at Warren Township, NJ. In 2010 she was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. "Aline was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she never allowed it to choke her initiative. Her grandfather told her, 'You may not have money all your life, you know; you must learn to stand on your own two feet'."
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RAeC 1939
In 1934, the first woman to fly solo from NYC to Mexico and back.
part of Aline's 38m 'Aviation History' mural painted in 1938 in Hangar F of Roosevelt Field, now at the Smithsonian.
1951
