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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Laurence Smith

Ralph K. (RK) Smith was born in Sanford, Florida in 1896. He was the son of Dr. Ralph E. Smith of Jacksonville and Sara Keely of Philadelphia.

In 1916 RK Smith enlisted in the Army Aviation Section, then a part of the Signal Corps, with the intention of flying. He was based in Mineola, Long Island, NY. Initially he was prohibited from flying because of his enlisted status. In 1917 he was among a group of men who were the first six enlisted men put on flying status in the Army. His instructor was the infamous "bad boy of aviation," Burt Acosta. With but a few hours under his belt, RK became a fight instructor himself.

RK left the Army in 1920, and was then involved in "six years of test and barnstorming." By 1926 he was employed by Brock & Weymouth, aerial surveyors and engineers out of Philadelphia. In 1930 RK piloted the aircraft that surveyed the site for the Boulder (Hoover) Dam.

RK joined Eastern Air Transport, previously Pitcairn Aviation, in 1930. He flew the mail up and down the east coast, most likely in the Pitcairn Mail wing. In 1934 Eastern Air Transport became Eastern Air Lines, taking advantage of the Airmail Act of 1934. He flew Ford Tri-motors, Curtis Condor, DC-3s, DC-7s and Lockheed Constellations during his career with Eastern. During World War II and as a pilot for Eastern, he ferried military aircraft to South America for transit to the European theatre.

He retired from EAL in 1959 at the age of 63 when the FAA set the mandatory retirement age to 60. He was a member of the OX-5 Club and Quiet Birdman Society. He died in 1975. RK was survived by his second wife Nan (Natalie) and three sons, Ralph Jr. from his first marriage to Mary Canty, Christopher and Laurence.