In 1956 it was a rare thing for a woman to do: Mellott earned her pilot’s license. She competed in seven Powder Puff Derby events, winning in 1959 and 1960, and in 1961 was named pilot of the year by the National Pilots Association.
On November 16, 1961, she was flying several passengers to San Diego, Calif., when bad weather forced her to land in El Rosario, Mexico. Villagers there were suffering from drought and needed basic supplies and medical care. Mellott organized a Christmas airlift to the town, bringing a doctor and supplies, and went back many times. That effort became the Flying Samaritans.
“She always felt the greatest accomplishment was her work with the Flying Samaritans,” said her brother, George Smallen. Mellott also served on the boards of the San Diego Airport Commission and the San Diego Aerospace Museum, and flew rescue missions with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. She died September 25 from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.