Hodge and her twin sister, Florence "Dot" Hodge, took flying lessons together at Silas Christofferson's school in Redwood City, California, after being initially rejected due to their gender.
 Their instructor was aviator Frank Bryant, who taught them to fly on a Curtiss-type biplane.
 A San Francisco Examiner profile written in July 1916 described Helen as "the more venturesome of the couple".
 Their father, J.B. Hodge, reportedly disapproved of them learning to fly, but "accepted the situation philosophically."

Hodge trained at the Christofferson school for six months.
 During one flight while Hodge was at an altitude of 1500 feet, her plane's motor mount broke, causing the motor to come loose.
 Hodge managed to land safely, "much to the surprise of even her teachers."

Hodge's first independent flight was made over San Francisco Bay on August 19, 1916, and she received her pilot's license on November 12, 1916.
 At the time, she planned to become an exhibition flyer.
 Though she did perform several exhibition flights for the Christofferson school, most of her flights appear to have been simply for her own pleasure.
 Hodge was the eleventh female pilot in the United States to receive her license, and possibly the last American woman to become a licensed pilot before the start of World War I.  During the war, she was a flight instructor for American cadets.
Hodge and her twin sister, Florence "Dot" Hodge, took flying lessons together at Silas Christofferson's school in Redwood City, California, after being initially rejected due to their gender.  Their instructor was aviator Frank Bryant, who taught them to fly on a Curtiss-type biplane.  A San Francisco Examiner profile written in July 1916 described Helen as "the more venturesome of the couple".  Their father, J.B. Hodge, reportedly disapproved of them learning to fly, but "accepted the situation philosophically."
Hodge trained at the Christofferson school for six months.  During one flight while Hodge was at an altitude of 1500 feet, her plane's motor mount broke, causing the motor to come loose.  Hodge managed to land safely, "much to the surprise of even her teachers."
Hodge's first independent flight was made over San Francisco Bay on August 19, 1916, and she received her pilot's license on November 12, 1916.  At the time, she planned to become an exhibition flyer.  Though she did perform several exhibition flights for the Christofferson school, most of her flights appear to have been simply for her own pleasure.  Hodge was the eleventh female pilot in the United States to receive her license, and possibly the last American woman to become a licensed pilot before the start of World War I.  During the war, she was a flight instructor for American cadets.
Helen Hodge Harris