American Airlines Flight 11 was the first airliner which the Islamic terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center North Tower at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Time) with 11 crew members onboard. After departing from Boston Logan International Airport, scheduled for arrival at Los Angeles (LAX) with full fuel for that direct flight. Also, 76 passengers were onboard, in addition to its two pilots and nine flight attendants. Betty Ong was Head Flight Attendant. Betty notified the airline’s North Carolina reservation desk via phone of the developing situation onboard, marking the first official communication that a terrorist attack had begun.

Betty Ong was a Chinese American born in San Francisco. At age 45, she perished on American Airlines Flight 11 when the terrorists flew it into the World Trade Center. (Wikipedia)

Betty told American staff, “The cockpit is not answering. Somebody is stabbed in business class, and, um, I think there’s Mace and we can’t breathe,” the 14-year flight attendant communicated. “I don’t know, I think we are getting hijacked.” Betty remained on the phone for 23 minutes, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Flight attendant Madeline Sweeney, 35, reported the hijacking to a manager at Boston Logan International Airport in a 12-minute call, when she helped identify the hijackers.

American Airlines Flight 11 crew member, Madeline Sweeney, identified the terrorists who hijacked the airliner. (Wikipedia)

The two pilots had flown as U.S. military members — Captain John Ogonowski, 50, a U.S. Air Force Vietnam War veteran, and First Officer Thomas McGuinness, 42, of the Navy. Both were murdered by the hijackers. The rest of the flight crew included Kathleen Nicosia, 54; Jeffrey Collman, 41; Dianne Snyder, 42; Karen Martin, 40; Barbara Arestegui, 38; Sara Low, 28; and Jean Rogér, 24, the youngest victim among flight crew that day and still a student at Penn State University.

United Airline Flight 175 cabin crew was led by Head Flight Attendant, Kathryn “Kat” Laborie. The Boeing 767 left Boston Logan for LAX with about 9,100 gallons of fuel. Not long after take-off, the five al-Qaeda terrorists murdered both pilots in the cockpit. Captain Victor Saracini, 51, was a former Navy fighter pilot. Co-pilot Michael Horrocks, 38, had been a Marine Corps fighter pilot. In addition to flight attendants, Robert John Fangman, Amy King, Alfred March, Michael Tarrou, and Alicia Titus, 51 passengers died on September 11, 2001. The terrorists put the airliner into a suicide power dive flying at a speed of about 587 miles an hour when they crashed into the World Trade Center South Tower.

Kathryn Laborie loved flying. In 1997, she earned her United Airlines wings. “Kat” was seated forward on the left jump seat by the cockpit door. Two of the hijackers were in First Class seats 2 A & B. When the terrorists rushed forward to take over the flight deck, they stabbed Kat with one of their many knives and released mace to stop any others from interfering in their deadly plan. (Yancey Family archive)

Other hijackers followed the same plan for American Airlines Flight 77 which left Washington Dulles International Airport loaded with fuel for the direct flight to Los Angeles. The hijackers flew the airliner into the Pentagon.

On Flight 77, flight attendant Renee A. May called American Airlines just before the plane hit the Pentagon, killing all 59 individuals on board and leading to the subsequent grounding of all civilian planes in U.S. airspace. Renee was pregnant with her first child. Her unborn baby is listed with the other victims. (Pentagon Memorial site)

Other crew members were Captain Charles Burlingame, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Navy aviator, and First Officer David Charlebois. Cabin crew were: Mary Jane Booth, Michele Heidenberger, Jennifer Lewis, and Kenneth Lewis. Jennifer and Kenneth Lewis loved traveling, especially together – and especially to Los Angeles. They used their seniority to arrange joint assignments so they could travel to their favorite destination – just as they were doing that fateful Tuesday on Flight 77.

Meanwhile, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark to fly to San Francisco. The hijackers acted quickly.

Lorraine G. Bay was 4^th in Seniority on the roster of Flight attendants at the Newark, New Jersey, airport. Lorraine had flown for United for 37 years. Lorraine could have been in the First Class section but she preferred working in the coach section to interact directly with passengers. (Wikipedia) ·

· The rest of the cabin crew were Sandra Bradshaw, CeeCee Lyles, Wanda Green, and Deborah Welsh. The pilots were Captain Jason Dahl, a long-time United pilot, and Leroy Homer, Jr. a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former Navy pilot.

· At about 9:28 a.m. (ET), the Islamic terrorists breached the cockpit. Both Dahl and Homer were assaulted and stabbed multiple times. Despite their severe wounds, they fought back which disrupted the terrorists from gaining immediate control. Homer grabbed the radio and shouted, “Mayday, Mayday.” The United pilots managed to disengage the autopilot, making the Boeing 757 much harder to control. They keyed their microphones so air traffic control could hear the chaos inside the flight deck.

· The cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of the injured pilots moaning on the floor and distracting the inexperienced terrorists from flying the plane which was gaining and losing altitude and banking wildly. From the recordings, it appears one of the female flight attendants was severely wounded or stabbed to death.

· By now, passengers and remaining crew members were aware of the previous al-Qaeda hijackings which flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was obvious their airliner was also part of the plan to kill more Americans.

Passenger Todd Beamer with others on doomed Flight 93 planned to regain control of the cockpit. Beamer was connected to a GTE airphone supervisor, Lisa Jefferson, during the flight. He told her about the passengers’ plan, recited the Lord’s Prayer together, and asked her to contact his family. Hearing the commotion and getting confirmation from others, Beamer was heard saying, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll,” before dropping the receiver to join the charge to the cockpit.

Chaos ensued with the passenger revolt. The terrorist at the flight controls shouted, “Allah is the greatest,” over and over again as he pushed the flight control of the 757 forward as the airliner plummeted rapidly toward the ground. Everyone on board perished in that lonely Shanksville, Pennsylvania, field at 10:03 a.m. Because of the brave flight crew and passengers, United Flight 93 did not hit its intended target which is presumed to have been the U. S. Capitol building. Today, the Flight 93 Memorial is managed by the National Park Service.

On 9/11, our nation is encouraged to remember the victims and first responders. As part of the official commemoration ceremony held at the World Trade Center in New York City, seven sacred moments of silence mark key events which unfolded twenty five years ago. At Eastern Time: 8:46 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into floors 93 through 99 of the World Trade Center North Tower.

9:03 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into floors 77 through 85 of the World Trade Center South Tower.

9:37 a.m.: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, near Washington, D.C.

9:59 a.m.: The World Trade Center South Tower collapsed killing about 614 civilians, who died on the impacted floors and the floors above it when the South Tower collapsed.

10:03 a.m.: After learning of the other attacks, passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 launched a counterattack on the hijackers aboard their plane to try to seize control of the aircraft. In response, the hijackers crashed the plane at high speed into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

10:28 a.m.: The North Tower collapsed, leaving the 16-acre World Trade Center site in ruins and collateral damage affecting all adjacent properties and streets. Across the entire World Trade Center site, including both towers, people on the ground, and first responders, roughly 2,753 people lost their lives on 9/11/2001.

A seventh moment of silence, follows the reading of the names, honors those lost to 9/11 health effects. Learn more at www.911memorial.org

The lasting impact of the victims’ and first responder families and our nation continues today. In less than two hours our world changed forever.

Recently, Airline Captain Nia Gilliam, who was a young airline co-pilot 25 years ago, waiting for takeoff on the Newark Airport runway when she saw the smoke from the World Trade Center. Now, as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Gilliam is sharing her experience in her new book, Cleared for Takeoff: A Pilot’s Memoir of Purpose and Resilience After 9/11. Gilliam used her time after her 9/11 experience to continue flying, raise her children, and to co-found Sisters of the Skies, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing Black female pilots. Learn more at https://sistersoftheskies.org/

As the prominent inscription and guiding sentiment at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, forged from pieces of steel recovered from the collapsed World Trade Center Towers by artist Tom Joyce says, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”

(National September 11 Memorial & Museum Jin S. Lee)

At age 21, Hilda trained as a nurse in a Berlin hospital. On January 3, 1888, 24-year-old Hilda married a barrister, Maurice Henry Hewlett. Her father presided at the ceremony held at St. Peter’s Church in Vauxhall. During these years, Hilda developed interests and skills in bicycles, motorcycles, and motor cars. Hilda was a proficient driver. Although, she was fined several times in 1905-06 for speeding. She participated in automobile rallies as a driver or mechanic.

In 1909, Aviation Expos were held in Great Britain. In March, The Olympia Aero Show in London featured full-sized aeroplanes. This was the first major indoor introduction of aviation to the public sponsored by the Aero Club of the United Kingdom. Then, in October 18-23, the Royal Aero Club backed the Blackwood Aviation Week featuring International aviators. Hilda was there. She was hooked. Later that year, Hilda adopted the pseudonym, Grace Bird. She secretly traveled to Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield in France to study aviation and aeronautics.

In the early years of aviation, France was considered the global leader. French aeroplane designers as Louis Blériot, Henri Farman, and the Voisin brothers built and flew their designs to world acclaim. Hilda met pilot, Gustav Blondeau, a 1910 graduate of Farman Aircraft, who was then working with Gnome Engine Works. They became friends and business partners. Hilda returned to England with her Farman III biplane.

Farman III biplane circa 1910. Hilda Hewlett named her aeroplane, Blue Bird. (Wikipedia photograph)

Partners Hewlett and Blondau opened the first flying school in the United Kingdom at the Brooklands motor racing circuit at Weybridge in Surrey. One of their early flight students was Thomas Sopwith, who founded his own Flying School and the Sopwith Aviation Company. The Hewlett and Blondeau Flight School graduated thirteen pilots. Given the flimsy aeroplanes and lack of aeronautical knowledge at the time, their school had a remarkable safety record with no accidents.

In May, 1911, Hilda organized a pilot strike against the Brooklands Racing Club because they offered the pilots an unfair share of the event revenue generated by the crowds which paid to see the pilots put on demonstrations. The Club offered 5%, Hilda, representing the pilots, demanded 25% and larger prize money. Initially, the Racing Club refused. Hilda organized the flying strike with the hangars locked so people could not even see an aeroplane, nor talk to a real pilot. The crowds stopped coming and revenue dwindled drastically. Management quickly reversed their decision paying a fairer percentage to the pilots and increasing the prize money. The episode attracted great public interest, with Hilda lauded as a fighter for fairness.

On August 29, 1911, at Brooklands, Hilda Hewlett became Britain’s first woman to earn a pilot’s license, Royal Aero Club Flight certificate no 122.

Photograph on trailblazer Hilda Hewlett’s Royal Aero Club Flight certificate. (Wikipedia)

Hilda taught her son, Francis, how to fly. In November, 1911, Francis earned pilot certificate no. 156. Francis became a military aviator with a distinguished career in both the United Kingdom, and later in New Zealand. Yet, another first, Hilda became the first female flight instructor to teach a military aviator. For the record, in 1915, Francis earned the Distinguished Service Order and rose to the rank of Group Captain.

Hilda starred in airshows and aviation exhibitions. In early 1912, partners Hewlett and Blondeau founded an aircraft manufacturing business at Brooklands. But, eventually moved to Battersea in London. In May, 1914, because of their success, their manufacturing facility moved to a 10-acre site at Leagrave, Bedfordshire. The company manufactured Farman, Avro, Hanroit, and Caudron aeroplanes under license.

Hilda Hewlett outside her aeroplane factory circa 1912. (Brooklands Musum)

According to the Wikipedia entry, when the First World War started in August, 1914, the factory was able to meet government orders for aircraft for the wartime expansion of the Royal Flying Corps. The factory employed around 700 people at its peak. Hewlett’s company manufactured more than 800 military aircraft, and a special 90 hp engine which the British government considered vital to the war effort,

Unfortunately, in 1914, the Hewletts separated after 26 years of marriage. Daughter, Pia, was 18, and son, Francis, was already a military aviator. During these troubled personal times with the country at war, the aircraft manufacturing experienced problems. The Air Ministry appointed Ashley Pope to oversee the factory because one of the aircraft in production at the time had a large 90 hp (67 kW) engine which was vital to the war effort. Pope noted that Hewlett worked tirelessly nearly 24 hours per day, barely stopping for breaks or meals.

After the war, the business diversified into making farming equipment, but the factory closed by the end of October, 1920. The site remained unsold until 1926. Hewlett Road in Luton was named after Hilda in recognition of the importance of her company in the war effort. After the sale of the manufacturing site, tired and needing a change, Hilda decided to move to New Zealand. Daughter, Pia Richards and her family decided to join Hilda in this New Zealand adventure. Hilda stated, “The urge to escape from the three Cs, crowds, convention, and civilization, became strong.” She enjoyed the outdoor life, especially camping and fishing. Her family gave her the nickname “Old Bird”.

They settled in Tauranga, a coastal city located on the north-eastern coast of the Bay of Plenty. In June, 1932, as fate would have it, Hilda Hewlett was present at the inaugural meeting of the Tauranga Aero and Gliding Club. In July, she was elected as the club’s first president. In January 1939, at the opening of a new aerodrome in Tauranga, Frederick Jones, New Zealand’s then Minister of Defense, named a nearby road after Hilda Hewlett and her son, Francis, in recognition of their services to aviation.

Hewlett flew West on August 21, 1943. Following a service on the Tauranga railway wharf, she was buried at sea. In 2010, Hilda’s grandson’s wife, Gail Hewlett, finished exhaustive research into the lives of both Hilda and Maurice Hewlett. Her book, Old Bird: The Irrepressible Mrs Hewlett was published. The book launch was held at St. Peter’s Church in Vauxhall back in London.

In October 2022, the Royal Air Force named their new RAF 71 Inspection & Repair Squadron Hilda B Hewlett Centre for Innovation, located on the border between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The new Centre specializes in 3D printing and scanning equipment which is part of the RAF advanced component manufacturing. Squadron Leader Auchterlonie said, “Hilda B Hewlett was unquestionably a pioneering visionary, who embodied courage and a spirit of innovation. It is because of this, that we have proudly named our new facility after her.”

Since 1939, National Aviation Day is celebrated annually honoring the history, development, and advancements of American aviation and aerospace. (NASA poster)

August 19 was chosen because it is the birthday of Orville Wright (born in 1871), who along with brother, Wilbur, and sister, Katharine, proved that motor-powered flight was possible. The airplane was born. Coincidentally, Katharine was also born on the same day as Orville, but in 1874. So August 19 is a pretty special day in aviation history.

Katharine proved to be the wind beneath her brothers’ wings. She provided financial resources for their many experiments and expenses. She ran the Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop while still teaching school,. She served as their Business Manager, Media Representative, and Diplomatic Hostess in Europe. On February 15, 1909, in France, Katharine famously flew with Wilbur to publicly demonstrate safety and trust in the aircraft. After all, if a mere woman could do it, it must be safe! Katharine’s first flight in a Wright Model A Flyer lasted 7 minutes and 4 seconds.

Katharine’s immense popularity led the European press to dub them “the Wright Brothers and Sister.” All THREE were awarded the French Legion of Honour, which was France’s highest ongoing national order of merit, conferred upon distinguished civilians and military personnel.

Because the purpose of National Aviation Day is to encourage people to explore more about the big world of aviation and aerospace, here are a few ideas to consider

Visit an airport or gliderport. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates almost 20,000 airports or airfields exist in the United States. America has them all from the big commercial service airports to the small grass strips. For children, count airplanes landing or taking off or call out the colors of the various airplanes parked on the airport ramp or moving on the airport.

Most airports welcome visitors and even school tours. (photographer Penny Hamilton)

An agricultural plane is preparing to take off from Colorado’s Emily Warner Field on a beautiful summer morning. (photographer Penny Hamilton)

Talk to the pilots or the airport staff about aviation careers. Pre-school field trips are perfect for adventures. Children can read Lego Let’s Go Vroom and The Pilot Alphabet books to prepare for the exciting world of airplanes and airports.

Or simply go outside to watch clouds go by. You never know you might see a fluffy cloud which looks like a poodle.

Seeing a dog or other animal or familiar object in cloud formations is called Pareidolia. This is a completely normal psychological phenomenon where the brain perceives a meaningful image, face, or pattern in random, unrelated visual stimuli as clouds or rock formations. (photographer Penny Hamilton)

Visit an aviation museum. Nationwide the estimate is 150 to 200 active museums. But, many airports have displays highlighting their history.

To support their historic preservation efforts and community outreach, most aviation museums are non-profits and always eager for volunteers. (photograph by Bill Hamilton)

Curl up with an aviation magazine or book to learn more about the pioneers of aviation and aerospace. Watch a movie like Top Gun, The Red Baron, Red Tails, Sully, Fly Girls, and many other inspiring films. One of the best is is Breaking Through The Clouds. https://www.pbs.org/video/breaking-through-the-clouds-cvi3fe/

Amelia Earhart was the subject of several films and documentaries. Today, the continued search for the remains of her Lockheed Electra 10E and her ill-fated Around the World flight on July 2, 1937 have renewed interest in this trailblazing woman. (Library of Congress)

Overdose on over 250 classic aviation programs and documentaries on Wings TV Channel on YouTube which has almost 80,000 subscribers.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7riKT_-ZLPSLthPY6dGZQ

Hook up with a local flight school, a member on the International 99s (women pilots), or local members of Women in Aviation International to talk about aviation careers and even take an Introductory Flight.

Literally, thousands of aviation positions across the United States do not require a college degree. Major commercial airlines, regional carriers, and local airports frequently hire candidates who hold a high school diploma, specific certifications, or practical training instead. Every day can be National Aviation Day! (photograph courtesy Southwest Airlines)

Mary Gaffney was at home in the sky where she was dedicated to the art and skill required in aerobatics and sky writing. (findagrave.com)

In 1970, Gaffaney became the first American female to win the World Aerobatic Gold. She repeated that astounding feat in 1972. She won the U.S. National Women’s Aerobatic title five times in a row. Oh, did I mention Mary was Florida’s first female helicopter pilot? Mary began her life in the air at only age 16. The freedom she felt in the sky never faded. Mary performed at air shows for years and years. The roar of the airplane engines and the adulation of the crowd propelled her to the sky time and time again.

Mary Gaffaney flew several Pitts in her aerobatic career. This is her N6W. (Photo courtesy of Fred Robbins)

Mary Gaffaney was described as the “Reigning Queen of United States Aerobatics.” Mary’s aviation ratings included single-engine, multi-engine, helicopter, glider, and seaplane. She was also an instrument instructor, and held Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating. ATP was an extremely rare accomplishment, especially for a woman born in 1926. Mary had a laser focus and single-minded dedication to the artistry of aviation.

In 1950, Mary married Charlie Gaffaney, who shared her passion for aviation. Some joked that Mary married him because he owned a Stearman and a Monocoupe. Gaffaneys strategically placed their Kendall Gliderport for the best soaring conditions is Southern Florida. At the edge of the Everglades, with constant Atlantic Ocean breezes, gliders could soar and sail in the prevailing winds for hours. For over twenty years, Mary shared this love of the sky with her students at their Kendall Flying School.

Charlie actually coached Mary in aerobatics with the idea of featuring her in air shows. Mary enjoyed the Stearman. But, Curtis Pitts was building a plane with aerobatics in mind. Once Mary flew that Pitts, she fell in love with it. Mary explained her immediate attraction this way: “I always had to use both hands to snap the old Stearman. But not the Pitts. So, the first Pitts I flew, Zoom! Zoom! They said it was a beautiful double snap. I had to tell them I only meant one. It‘s so easy to fly. Point it, it goes; pull it, it snaps! Bang! Bang! Oh, it’s fun!”

Mary Gaffaney Aerobatic Champ (wikipedia)

In 1991, Mary’s dedication to the sport was recognized by her peers. Mary Gaffaney was inducted into the International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame. In 2017, at the age of 91, Mary Gaffaney flew West, probably doing loops, rolls, and spins. Shouting, “What a wild ride!”

In 1914, Marjorie earned her pilot license making her the ninth woman in United States history to earn an airplane license. Soon, Marjorie debuted as a stunt pilot in Brownwood, Texas. Marjorie performed throughout the year gaining practical knowledge and experience. In 1915, when the Stinson Flying School opened in San Antonio, Marjorie joined her mother and older sister as Chief Flight Instructor. Brother, Eddie, was their aircraft mechanic and airplane designer. Later, his successful Stinson Detroiter became a popular cabin airplane.

A Stinson Detroiter designed by Marjorie’s brother, Eddie Stinson. (San Diego Air & Space Museum)

The Stinson family had an agreement with Canada to train their pilots because Canada did not have a flight training program established yet. In November, 1915, their first class of Canadian military pilots graduated. Many headed to the Royal Air Force in England to fight in World War I. Before Marjorie was 22 years old, she trained over 100 male Canadian pilots. She was called the “Flying Schoolmarm” because of her Chief Flight Instructor status. Marjorie Stinson was the only woman granted a pilot’s license by the Army and Navy committee of aeronautics during World War I. In early 1917, when America entered World War I, civilian flying was grounded. The Stinson Flying School closed.

Marjorie Stinson with Canadian flying students. (Library of Congress)

According to Wikipedia, from 1917 to 1928, Marjorie was a very successful stunt show pilot performing at events as on July 3, 1915, Marjorie wowed large crowds with two flights in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Just seeing an airplane fly high and do flying maneuvers was novel. Then, for a woman pilot to wave and smile upon landing was a rarity. My favorite Stinson flying story was when flying sisters, Marjorie and Katherine, flew together on August 29, 1914. Behind their Wright Biplane, they towed a bright yellow banner “Votes for Women” at the Chicago suffrage field day. They abandoned their exhibition tour to take part in the suffragette field and raised $50,000 for women’s voting right. That would be over $1,669,760 today. (In 1929, the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution finally gave women voting rights nationwide.)

On June 23, 1919, Marjorie flew across Washington DC to promote the ambitious $10,000,000 campaign to build a Victory Memorial Building. Banner towing is not easy even today because of the drag behind the airplane. In 1919, that was a rare skill and dangerous. During World War I, Marjorie flew a small Curtis airplane between Bolling Field and Potomac Park in Washington D.C. area selling $3,000 worth of bonds for Victory Liberty Loans.

As she could, Marjorie continued to barnstorm across the nation at fairs and air meets until 1928. By 1930, she folded up her wings to work in the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Navy. She was still in aviation but with an eye for designs of the future. In 1928, Marjorie became a founding member of the Early Birds of Aviation. Pilots who soloed before December 17, 1916 were eligible for membership. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane. The date of December 17 honored the first flight of Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1903. Because of the large number of aviators trained in 1917 for World War I, 1916 was the cut off year limiting membership to pioneering aviators.

Membership grew to 598 pioneering aviators, although many early aviators as Harriet Quimby would have been eligible. Quimby died before this group was created. Pioneering women aviators listed as Early Bird members, including Marjorie and her sister, Katherine are: Alys McKey Bryant, Jeanette Doty Caldwell, Helen Hodge Harris, Jean Marie Landrey, Ruth Bancroft Law, Bernetta Miller, Matilde Josephine Moisant, Lucille Belmont Rutshaw, Blanche Stuart Scott, and Dorothy Rice Sims.

Marjorie Stinson learned to fly in 1914 at the Wright Flying School in Dayton, Ohio. (Library of Congress)

In 1968, Marjorie received the National Aeronautic Association Elder Statesman of Aviation Award. She died April, 1975. Her ashes were scattered over Stinson Field in Texas from a 1931 Curtiss Pusher. In 2003, Women in Aviation International added Marjorie to their list of the 100 Most Influential Women in the Aviation and Aerospace Industry.

One minute local news story about the remarkable Marjorie Stinson

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=you+tube+marjorie+stinson#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:70c30bdc,vid:k2C1grIZePM,st:0

During World War II, nearly 1,100 highly qualified women tested, flew, and ferried 12,650 aircraft over 60 million miles as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

Barbara “B.J.” Erickson (London) and Evelyn “Sharpie” Sharp were the second and third women, behind Nancy Harkness Love, to qualify in the P-51 Mustang. Tragically WASP Sharp was killed on April 3, 1944, at age 24, when her P-38 Lightning lost an engine during takeoff in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. She managed an emergency wheels-up landing to save the aircraft, but did not survive the impact. (National Archives and Records Administration at College Park)

According to the National WWII Museum, WASP were between 21 and 35 years old, over five feet, four inches tall, and all had graduated from high school. Many held pilot’s licenses but entered flight training by the Army Air Forces in Sweetwater, Texas. They learned everything male Army pilots learned, except combat training and aerobatics, and completed the same basic training as men. By graduation, each WASP had completed 560 hours of ground school and 210 hours of flight training, learned Morse code, meteorology, military law, physics, aircraft mechanics, and navigation

WASPs also towed targets for simulated strafing missions and anti-aircraft artillery training. Cochran announced this target practice as a secret mission that any WASP could opt out of, but none did. Often, the WASP flew these dangerous missions when live ammunition was routinely used by Army trainees on the ground and in the air firing live rounds at the canvas sleeves and fabric targets dragged behind the WASP aircraft.

WASP Helen W. Snapp flies a tow-target plane over Camp Stewart in Georgia. (U.S.A.F photograph)

WASP pilots flew specific patterns over military bases and gunnery ranges so ground anti-aircraft crews and air-to-air gunners could practice combat accuracy. Gunnery trainees often started with tracer bullets to track their aim, but they quickly moved on to live ammunition. The bullets sometimes featured color-painted tips so hits on the cloth target could be tracked back to a specific gunner. Because the gunners were in training (”green gunners”), mistakes happened, and WASP planes occasionally returned with bullet holes or required emergency landings.

WASP Viola Thompson flew tow target planes at Camp Davis, North Carolina. She kept photographs of the holes in her airplane from live ammunition used by the male trainees on the ground. Born in rural North Dakota in 1914, in her early years, her family moved to Fargo. Viola tagged along behind her older brother, Marnel , to watch airplanes at busy Hector Airfield.

In 1939, Viola took her first $1 plane ride. It was just a dollar more for flying lessons so her journey began. She attended Business school and landed a good job which supported her new aviation addiction. By 1942, Viola was North Dakota’s first woman to earn a commercial flying ticket. When legendary, Jackie Cochran invited Viola to join her in Sweetwater, Texas, Viola packed her bags and scraped together the money to pay for her transportation.

In 1943, Viola graduated in the fourth WASP class earning her coveted Air Corps Wings. She became North Dakota’s first woman to do so. Soon Viola and other “Avenger Girls-”WASP reported to duty at Camp Davis, NC, to form the new Target Tow Squadron. The gals had ill-fitting hand-me-down male mechanic uniforms which they called “zoot suits.” The women had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs to make them wearable.

The Army still considered these brave and patriotic women “civilian.” They were paid only $150 month in-training and $250 month in service. Out of that, they had to pay the government $50 a month room and board. When suitable uniforms finally became available, the WASP paid $12.50 each for the “General’s tan” trousers and about $10 each for the white shirts. Soon, the iconic Santiago Blue WASP uniform Jackie Cochran designed became available to purchase for dress with berets.

The fashionable WASP Santiago Blue uniform, designed by Jackie Cochran. (National Air & Space Museum)

As a WASP, Viola’s training day started at 6:45 with morning calisthenics. By 7:15 she was back to the barracks to change to flying clothes and marched to breakfast. Once at the airfield, they entered the “WASP Nest briefing room” for the review on the flying course and assignments.

After graduating, Viola flew Curtiss A-25 Shrike as her tow target plane. She flew back and forth hour after hour making precise turns while being shot at from the ground. She hoped the guys were a quick study and had steady aim to actually hit the canvas target she was towing and not her plane! Later, these planes were known to be challenging and unpopular with carrier pilots when they were named Navy SB2C Helldiver.

In late 1944, the US military shut down the highly successful WASP program. Because they were not considered “service members,” WASP paid their own transportation home. For years, their heroic and patriotic service was overlooked and forgotten.

After World War II, Viola married Robert Mason. They moved to Alaska where Viola earned her seaplane rating and joined the Civil Air Patrol.

In 1942, Viola Thompson, on the left became North Dakota’s first woman to earn a commercial rating. By 1943, she had volunteered for the WASP and became North Dakota’s first woman to earn US Army Air Corps wings. WASP Bertha Mary Clifford (Lyman) was in Viola’s WASP squadron. (U.S.A.F. archive)

As we approach the anniversary of the founding of the WASP, let us honor all those aviator women of our Greatest Generation. There is only one surviving WASP, Nell “Mickey” Stevenson Bright, born June 20, 1921. She just celebrated 105 years. Mickey graduated with the class 43-W-7 at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. She was one of only 20 WASP trained to fly the B-25 Mitchell medium twin engine bombers.

WASP Nell “Mickey” Stevenson Bright flew 17 different types of military aircraft, including target-towing and night searchlight missions at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas. (U.S.A.F. archival photograph)

President Harry S. Truman once said of the service of Americans during World War II, “The debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid.” How true.

Cheryl Stearns, record-setting skydiver. (International Skydiving Hall of Fame photograph)

Wait. There IS more. Not only is she a World Champion skydiver, Cheryl is an accomplished Flight Instructor and retired airline pilot. Her stellar career is so amazing, if I pitched a script to a Hollywood Production Company about her accomplishments, they would probably throw me out of their office because they would not believe that one woman has accomplished all these records.

Born on July 14, 1955 in New Mexico, a few years later Cheryl’s family relocated to Scottsdale, AZ. Starting her skydiving journey at the age of 17, Cheryl’s passion for both flying and skydiving became the cornerstone of her remarkable life. After graduating from Scottsdale Community College, Cheryl moved to North Carolina to train with the renowned skydiving coach, Gene Paul Thacker. Because of her command of the “Classic” skydiving skills of style and accuracy, Cheryl won her first national championship in 1976. She went on to set a world record in accuracy the same year. In 1977, Cheryl became the first female member of the U.S. Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights. She served two three-year tours with the team, winning many national and international championships. In 2005, Cheryl retired as a Master Sergeant from the U.S. Army Reserve. She then served on the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Board of Directors.

During her successful skydiving career, Cheryl won two overall world championships (1978, 1994) and 33 national championships. She set 30 world records in skydiving, at one point holding four world records simultaneously. Cheryl’s contributions to skydiving have earned her numerous accolades, including the Diplome Leonardo da Vinci, the highest award in aero sports. In 2007, she was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame, followed by the International Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2010. She was also honored with the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award, the Wiley Post Spirit Award, and the United States Parachute Association Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. In 2022, she received the Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Stateswoman of Aviation Award from the National Aeronautic Association for her lifelong contributions to aviation and skydiving.

In addition to her stellar skydiving career, Cheryl has excelled in the air as a pilot. After earning her instrument, multi-engine, and instructor ratings in Arizona and gaining experience flying for Raeford Aviation, Cheryl taught flying during her “free time” while in the Army. Also, she gained experience flying medical evacuation, teaching and competing in aerobatics, flying and jumping for Air Show America, and flying for Henson Airlines, and then Piedmont Airlines. Later, she flew for US Airways and American Airlines. Cheryl excelled as a commercial airline pilot, logging over 26,000 flight hours across 75 types of aircraft.

In 2015, Airline Captain Cheryl Stearns retired from American Airlines. (Wikipedia)

Also, Cheryl earned Bachelor and Master degrees in Aviation Administration and Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She continued to share her expertise by mentoring cadets in the Civil Air Patrol and performed demonstration jumps with the Children of Fallen Heroes team.

Cheryl Stearns’ relentless drive has cemented her legacy as one of the most influential figures in the world of skydiving and aviation. (Wikipedia)

In 2014, while riding her bicycle on the road, Cheryl was hit by a car. She suffered multiple injuries, including a life-altering traumatic brain injury which affected her cognitive and motor skills. Through determination, after intense rehabilitation and recovery, Cheryl was able to get her airline pilot medical certification back. In 2015, she retired as an airline Captain.

Cheryl Stearns explained how her participation in skydiving changed her life. “It’s not a natural act to jump from a ‘perfectly good airplane.’ Overcoming that fear, opened my world to all kinds of possibilities.” Learn more about trailblazer Cheryl Stearns https://www.cherylstearns.com/

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Joyful Wally Funk emerges from the Blue Origin New Shepard space flight on July 20, 2021. Wally waited 60 years for this opportunity. At age 82, Wally became the oldest person in the world to fly into space at that time. Also, Wally broke the previous record held by Apollo astronaut, John Glenn, which he set in 1998 on Space Shuttle mission STS-95. (Photograph Blue Origin)

“Aviation has been my whole life. I eat it, and I breathe it,” Wally wrote in her 2020 memoir, Higher, Faster, Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Spaceflight, co-authored with Loretta Hall. It chronicles her trailblazing aviation career, her time as part of the historic Mercury 13 women, and her lifelong dream of going to space.

Born February 1, 1939, she grew up in Taos, NM. In a 1999 NASA oral history interview, Wally shared this story. “I got my first try at flying, just pure flying, by flying my Superman cape off my daddy’s barn when I was about 5 years old.” She landed in a pile of hay, but her fascination with flying was undiminished. “I was allowed to make airplanes out of blocks of balsa wood and hang them from my ceiling.”

Wally Funk’s important character trait was her dogged determination. She experienced gender stereotyping in high school. She wanted to enroll in mechanical drawing and auto mechanics. Because she was a mere “girl,” she was only permitted to take Home Economics. So, Wally left high school to pursue her passion for aviation. At age 16, she was accepted at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. There Wally joined the “Flying Susies,” who were organized in 1941 to meet the growing need for World War II pilots. Wally rated first in her Stephens College class of 24 women pilots. By age 19, Wally was a glider and a seaplane pilot. In 1958, Funk graduated with a private pilot’s license and an Associate of Arts degree.

Next, she continued her education and aviation career. She was drawn to Oklahoma State University (OSU) primarily by their famous “Flying Aggies” program. She thrived at OSU. Wally earned Instrument, Commercial, Multi-engine, and Flight Instructor ratings. She flew on the OSU International Collegiate Air Meets team. She received the “Outstanding Female Pilot” award, was named the “Flying Aggie Top Pilot,” and won the prestigious Alfred Alder Memorial Trophy two years in a row.

After graduation, at only age 20, Wally began her professional aviation career as a Civilian Flight Instructor for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill. She taught commissioned and non-commissioned personnel. She was the first woman in this position. In fact, she was the ONLY female instructor.

Wally Funk was a trailblazer in aviation and space. (NASA archival photograph)

In the early 1960s, Wally was among a group of 25 women, later reduced to only 13, who were put through rigorous tests at the dawn of the Space Age to determine how women might fare in space. Wally was the only aviator in the group — which became known as the Mercury 13 — to pass all the tests successfully.

NASA Mercury 13 patch.

The civilian Mercury 13 women were tested in a private program modeled after the NASA Mercury 7 male astronaut program. Wally Funk was the youngest woman in the experimental program at age 23. She already had logged over 3,000 flight hours.

Again, because of gender, Wally and the other 12 stellar women of the Mercury 13 Program were never given the opportunity to join NASA and rocket into outer space. Wally Funk, in her ever determined way, flew on to her next opportunity in aviation. Wally accepted a new job as a Certified Flight Instructor, Charter, and Chief Pilot with a California aviation company. By 1968, she earned her Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). She applied to three airlines. All three rejected her because of gender. She was more than qualified than the males they were hiring. That fact did not matter to the airline executives.

In 1971, resolved to further her professional aviation career, Funk earned her Flight Inspector rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), becoming the first woman to complete their General Aviation Operations Inspector Academy. Wally Funk was the first female FAA field examiner. In two short years, she was promoted becoming the very first woman in the United States to hold a Systems Worthiness Analysis Program Specialist position. In 1974, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hired Wally as their first female Air Safety Investigator.

Concurrent with these important and demanding administrative positions, Wally flew and placed in many air races. Flying her red and white Citabria, Wally won the Pacific Air Race from San Diego to Santa Rosa against a large field of pilots. In 1985, Funk retired from her position as an Air Safety Inspector. But, professional aviation was still on her horizon. She shared her extensive knowledge of aviation safety as a popular speaker and trainer.

Wally was a popular aviation safety speaker throughout the nation.

She was appointed a FAA Safety Counselor. In 1987, she began a new phase in her aviation education journey. Emery Aviation College in Colorado appointed Wally as their Chief Pilot, overseeing the entire flight program for students pursuing Private to Multi-engine, and Helicopter ratings. Over the years, Wally Funk provided leadership to five aviation schools across the country. As a professional Flight Instructor, she soloed more than 700 students and put through 3,000 Private, Commercial, Multi-engine, Seaplane, Glider, Instrument, Certified Flight Instructor, and Air Transport Pilots. She accumulated almost 20,000 flight hours.

In 1995, Wally Funk joined other trailblazers in the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. In 2022, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum awarded Wally their Michael Collins Trophy for Lifetime Achievement. Since 1960, Wally Funk harbored the dream of flying in space. On July 20, 2021, she finally lived her dream. She ascended in Blue Origin’s “New Shepard” to reach suborbital flight before returning to earth’s terra firma. With her dogged determination, Wally Funk fulfilled her lifelong mission to go into space. Her only regret, “I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.” Today, Wally still holds the record as the oldest woman in space.

It is said, “Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness and bad days give you experience.” –Wally Funk lived a lot of good and bad days in her lifetime. She was an inspiration to many females in aviation and aerospace. She is probably teaching flight safety to the angels right now!

According to the TV broadcast, in 1973, Bjornson, was also the first female member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association. Bjornson decided she wanted to become a professional pilot in the early 1950s, when she was just a little girl. Her father, who served as a pilot in World War II, would put Rosella on his knee as he would fly his Cessna over the family farm near Lethbridge. Though female pilots were unheard of, Bjornson never had any doubt she was capable. “I flew with my father. He had a little airplane on the farm and I thought that was so cool and I wanted to do it, too,” she said.

Rosella Bjornson and her father often flew together over the family farm near Lethbridge.

Rosella continued her story in the CBS broadcast. “I was the oldest daughter and I drove all the machinery, all the combines, the tractors and trucks. And I could do it, so there could be no reason why I couldn’t fly an airplane.”

Rosella earned her private license as a teen before she graduated from high school. She said she took to the controls “like a duck to water.” When she found a brochure from Air Canada that said they preferred pilots with post-secondary education, she enrolled at the University of Calgary, ignoring her high school guidance counselor, who scoffed at her career aspirations. “While at the university I was spending a lot of time at the airport,” she said. “I kept watching for any information about women flying for the airlines, and there was none.”

Undeterred, Rosetta continued training for her full certification. Then, in 1973 a miracle happened. It is said,” Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” In 1973, she was hired as a co-pilot by Transair. In the television interview, Rosella said, “”I was just so excited and so happy when they called and asked me if I wanted to become a first officer on their F-28. Wow.”

The Transair Fokker F28 was a short-haul regional jet. Transair, a Canadian carrier headquartered in Winnipeg, became the first in Canada to operate the F28. (Wikipedia)

In 1990, Rosella had another first. While employed by Canadian Airlines International, Rosella was promoted to Captain — becoming Canada’s first female airline Captain. On July 13, 2014, Rosella Bjornson was honored with a 50^th anniversary stamp. The East Canada Section of the International 99s (women pilots), unveiled the colorful design with the image of the Airline Captain Bjornson and Canada’s first female airline pilot, Rosella, in 1973.

The Stamp Committee of the East Canada Section of the International Ninety-Nines selects one Canadian female pilot each year to honor with a commemorative stamp. According to the 99’s posting, on her seventeenth birthday her gift was an easy choice for her parents -flying lessons! Her first flight lesson at the Lethbridge Flying Club was July 13, 1964. In 2014, the Rosella Bjornson stamp was released on the 50^th anniversary of Rosella’s first official first lesson.

According to the 99s posting, when Rosella told her high school guidance counsellor she wanted to be an airline pilot, he laughed and told her “that wouldn’t be possible because she was a girl”. She accepted this information as feedback, but not the final answer! She knew she would need more than minimum requirements in order to poke her way into this male domain. While enrolled at the University of Calgary in the Bachelor of Science program during the summer, she earned her Commercial License and Instructor Rating. As an instructor, she built the required flight hours and experience. This turned out to be providential. In her spare time Rosella earned Multi-engine and Instrument Ratings. She also chatted with pilots in the airport coffee shop. When she completed her Airline Transport Rating and applied for a job with airlines, she got the usual negative replies - except from Transair. Because several Transair pilots knew Rosella and had observed her work ethic. Transair was in the midst of expansion and needed more pilots. Rosella had the qualifications they required. In April 1973 Transair, Canada’s fourth largest airline, hired Rosella Bjornson as First Officer on a Fokker F28 jet, the first woman in Canada to achieve this position. As the first woman hired by a commercial airline in Canada, and the first woman member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association, she joined a fraternity of 2800 male airline pilots. According to the 99s posting, one would think Rosella had arrived. However, it wasn’t always smooth flying for her. Being first in a field often leads a person to confront inconsistent policies or practices. Transport Canada wouldn’t grant a Category 1 medical to anyone who was pregnant. Transair had no policy for pregnancy leave for pilots and wouldn’t offer her sick leave because it did not consider pregnancy an illness. So they grounded her. Returning to work after the birth of her son, she was offered a course on the Boeing 737, so she commuted between Toronto and Edmonton. The company more readily accepted her second pregnancy but Transport Canada was slow to grant her a waiver to continue flying. Again she was grounded. Later, Rosella successfully worked with Transport Canada to change their ruling. Now female pilots can fly with their doctor’s supervision for the first six months of a pregnancy. In 1990, Canadian Airlines International promoted Rosella to Captain, the first Canadian female airline Captain, a position she continued to hold with Air Canada, flying 737s.

In 1997, Rosella was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2004, Captain Rosella Bjornson retired from the airline with over 18,000 of safe flying hours. She continues as a mentor in aviation.

Words of advice from Captain Bjornson at her 2018 Induction into the Alberta Order of Excellence, “Live your dream. Do what you love. Cherish every moment along the way. Be brave. Take risks. Create your own happiness. Have an open mind and open heart. Make a real difference in the world. Set a goal that nobody else has achieved. Never give up. Dream big. Be fearless. Make every moment count and be flexible because sometimes your goals don’t always work. You have to have another one.”

During World War II patriotic and talented American women contributed to winning the war. Many serving first in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp (WAAC) which morphed into the Women’s Army Corp (WAC), Navy WAVES, Coast Guard SPARS, and Marine Corps non-combat roles added much needed “woman power” to vacant support slots at home.

Lesser known units as the Central Postal Directory Battalion 6888^th, nicknamed The Six Triple 8, served in Birmingham, England. Recent books and films document the story of this female mostly Black American unit. Led by the charismatic and pragmatic, 26-year-old Charity Adams Earley, 850 women with the mission to sort, deliver years of backlogged mail intended for our Troops in the European theater, processed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail each shift, The women of the 6888^th were given six months to sort the millions of pieces of mail stored in airplane hangars. They did it in only three months. Finally, in 2022, these trailblazing women were awarded the well-deserved Congressional Gold Medal.

Women serving in the Central Postal Directory Battalion 6888^th were the only Black American female unit to serve overseas during World War II. (Library of Congress)

U.S. Army Major, Charity Adams Earley, first Black American woman to be an officer in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps in WWII. Adams Earley was the highest ranking African American woman in the Army at the end of WWII. (National Archives)

U.S. Army Air Force Winged Angels

World War II crew member Flight Nurses provided life-saving care in 31 medical air evacuation squadrons in Europe and the Pacific. On February 18, 1943, the first class of 39 graduated from the U.S. Army Air Forces Flight Nursing Program at Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky. By the end of the war, around 500 “Winged Angels” provided life-saving care. They cared for over one million military patients evacuated by air between Jan 1943 to May 1945 with few lives lost during the medical transport.

World War II US Army Air Force “Winged Angles” Flight Nurses in flight jackets with helmets hanging from the bike handle bars in Great Britain circa 1943. (U.S.A.F. archival photograph)

“The role of the flight nurse during World War II was revolutionary. The lives of the wounded rested on their shoulders-from starting IVs and oxygen to keeping all the ill and injured calm through a combat medical evacuation,” according to the DAV Magazine July/August, 2024. Women in Aviation International (WAI) honored our U.S. Army Air Forces Flight Nurses with induction into their 2024 Pioneer Hall of Fame.

WAFS Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron

On September, 10, 1942, with the support of the U.S. Air Transport Command, experienced aviator, Nancy Harkness Love, was appointed Commander of the WAFS. Their purpose was delivery of new airplanes from the factory to U.S. military bases. The female pilots were Civilian Civil Service Employees, who paid for their WAFS uniform. They paid their own transportation costs to the WAFS Delaware Headquarters at New Castle Army Air Base. The WAFS were recruited from among commercially licensed American women pilots with at least 500 hours flying time and a 200hp rating. WAFS pilots selected actually averaged about 1,100 hours of flying experience. Many were also flight instructors.

Nancy Harkness Love, WAFS Commander, ferried new airplanes, including the B-17 Flying Fortress, in support of the American military in World War II. (Smithsonion)

During the WAFS existence, about 28 women flew. Many continued to make aviation history: Nancy E. Batson, Bernice Batton, Delphine Bohn, Cornelia Fort, Barbara Erickson, Teresa James, Gertrude Meserve, and Evelyn Sharp. Although their original mission was to ferry U.S. Army Air Corps trainers and light aircraft from the factories, soon they were delivering fighters, bombers, and transports. Betty Gillies and Nancy Love became the first women to ferry the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, four-engine heavy bomber. The WAFS members made significant contributions toward winning World War II.

The first woman to qualify as a WAFS pilot was Betty Gillies. (U.S. Air Force photograph)

WASP Women Airforce Service Pilots

In August, 1943, a new organization was created, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The WAFS were merged with the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD), which was under the leadership of Jacqueline Cochran. Many of the original WAFS members joined the WASP. Although flying under military command, the WASP were classified as civilians. Paid through the civil service. The WASP paid their own transportation to Avenger Field in Texas for training. They were charged room and board which was deducted from their monthly pay.

Women Airforce Service Pilots ferried 12,000 new and repaired aircraft to U.S. military bases and repair stations. They flew military personnel from 120 Army Air Bases across America. They towed targets for men on the ground honing their gunnery and anti-aircraft skills. WASP supplied the woman power to free up manpower to fight in combat. WASP flew over 60 MILLION miles in military planes. WASP flew almost every kind of aircraft needed by our Armed Forces during World War II.

WASP Dorothy Bancroft (Hammett) flew PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, and UC-78. Invited by Jacqueline Cochran to join the WASP, Dorothy Bancroft originally flew new planes from the manufacturers to U.S. airfields. According to her granddaughter, Kelly Mackura, Bancroft later was asked to instruct military men for instrument flight. If male pilots were offended, the WASP repeated the mantra used in World War I when The Flying Schoolmarm, Marjorie Stinson, taught Canadian men to fly--“A woman taught you to walk. A woman can teach you to fly.”

When Jacqueline Cochran called for patriotic women to apply for the WASP, over 25,000 American women answered. Only 1,879 women were selected for the 27-week training at Avenger Airfield. During the 16-months of the WASP existence, 18 classes graduated 1,074 highly trained pilots. WASP Barbara Erickson London flew a five-day, 8,000 mile air mission. First she delivered a DC-3 from her Long Beach, California base to Fort Wayne, Indiana. There, she picked up a P-47 Thunderbolt for delivery to California. Next, Barbara flew a P-51 Mustang to Fort Wayne, Indiana again. She picked up yet another P-47 to fly to Long Beach again. On the last leg of this whirlwind mission, she flew a P-61 Black Widow to Sacramento.

Women Airforce Service Pilots, Frances Green, Margaret “Peg” Kirchner, Ann Waldner, and Blanche Osborn, leave their B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft, “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” during their ferry training at Lockbourne Army Airfield, Ohio, 1944. (U.S. Air Force archival photograph)

On April 1, 1943, the Grand Island Nebraska airfield (GRI) was activated to train bomber crews. According to the Texas Woman’s University archive, three WASP were assigned there. One of these women was Eleanor Fairchild Stebbins. Her nickname was “Fearless Fairchild.” At only 19, she was the youngest pilot in her class, 44-W-6. Classmates, Evelyn McNulty Perrin and Lorraine Lasswell, joined her on the newly expanded airfield.

An interesting WASP and aviation history story happened at GRI. The new B-29 Super Fortress, built in Omaha at the Glenn L. Martin factory, was rushed to production, was the newest, biggest, and most complicated bomber. Many pilots felt it was unsafe, especially with frequent engine fires. Built with Wright engines, pilots quipped the B-29 had the “wrong” engines. In the summer of 1944, Lt. Colonel Paul W. Tibbetts (Yes, the famous World War II pilot who later flew the B-29 Enola Gay, named for his mother, to Japan with the atomic bomb) personally invited two outstanding WASP, Dora Dougherty Strother McKeown, 43-W-3, and Dorothea “Didi” Johnson Moorman, 43-W-4, to train with him in a B-29. Long story short, after three days of tutoring the WASP, Tibbetts wrote a letter of invitation to the male pilots to see the new B-29 pilots fly “Ladybird.” Both WASP flew and landed the behemoth before large gatherings of reluctant male pilots. They patiently answered many operational questions. Dora and Didi flew crews on orientation flights. And, as they often say, “the rest is history…or maybe herstory!”

The” her” story of WASP service includes 38 killed in training or on air missions. Because WASP were considered civilians, the military did not pay for their remains to be shipped home to their families for burial. Often, the other WASP donated money, if the family could not afford the cost. Those 38 families were not even allowed to display the traditional Gold Star in their window, indicating a family member lost their life while serving our Nation in the armed forces. In 1977, it literally took Congressional action for WASP to retroactively have veteran status and benefits. It was not until 1984, almost 40 years after the end of World War II, that WASP were awarded their World War II Victory Medal. For those serving more than a year, they were awarded the American Theater Medal. In 2010, WASP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian expression of National appreciation, for their World War II contributions. Today, the stories of our World War II WASP continue to inspire.

Thirty years ago, then Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, Sheila Widnall said, “I am proud to recognize the contribution the WASP made to World War II. They set the stage for today’s women to fly and fight with their spirit and enthusiasm. These heroines…heard the call and responded with the skills and dedication that gave our country the boost it needed to win World War II.”

Reflecting on the many heroines of World War II, is an inspiring exercise for all. As we approach our nation’s 250^th birthday, “To our men and women in uniform, past, present, and future, God bless you and thank you.”

NB: The Colorado Authors League will announce the annual writing competition winners on Sunday, July 19.

Also, Just in time for summer reading, Military Writers Society of America 2025 Reflections Anthology. Available for purchase on Amazon in print and eBook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBS26BXK

Proceeds support the many Veterans writing programs of the Military Writers Society of America.

Born in 1978, into a worker’s family in Zhengzhou in Henan Province, Liu was taught to work hard. Zhengzhou is the capital and largest city in the province. Today, almost 13 million live there because it is an important hub for the Chinese national transportation network of railways. It has an international airport, and several large universities. Liu was an excellent student. In 1997, Yang joined the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. She graduated from the PLA Air Force Aviation University. She qualified as a transport pilot. Liu is a precise and excellent aviator. She became the deputy head of a flight unit. She earned the rank of Major in the PLAAF. Liu flew over 1,680 hours before she entered the Taikonaut Training Program.

Taikonaut is derived from the Chinese word, Taikong meaning outer space. A Taikonaut is a Chinese Astronaut. After two rigorous years of space training, Liu excelled in the testing before she was selected as a candidate for the Taikonaut Corps. At the end of the space training, Liu was chosen. Liu said, “From day one, I have been told I am no different from the male astronauts. As a pilot, I flew in the sky. Now that I am an astronaut, I will fly in space.”

In 2012, Liu Yang, People’s Republic of China, first woman Taikonaut is space. (Wikimedia Commons)

In 2003, the first Chinese male Taikonaut launched into space. Over the years, the Chinese government built a space station named Tiangong-1. The Shenzhou-9 mission would be the first crewed mission to dock with the space station. On March 12, 2012, China announced the initial crew selection roster for the mission, which for the FIRST time included two female Taikonauts, Liu Yang and Wang Yaping.

On June 15, the Shenzhou-9 Taikonaut crew members were introduced to the world community. Liu Yang was selected. Shenzhou 9, the 9^th space flight in China’s program, was the fourth crewed spaceflight. On June 16, 2012, Liu became the first Chinese woman in space. The June 16, 2012, Shenzhou-9 launch was an historic day for the People’s Republic of China. But, also, the date was chosen because it was the 49^th anniversary of the first female Russian space cosmonaut and first woman in space exploration history, Valentina Tereshkova, launch in Vostok 6.

First woman in the world to explore outer space on June 12, 1963. (Wikimedia Commons).

During this important Shenzhou-9 crewed space mission, Taikonaut Liu performed experiments in space medicine. On June 18, the Shenzhou-9 docked with the Tiangong-1 space station. This was the first crewed spacecraft to do so. This marked the first woman Taikonaut to launch into space. On June 29, Shenzhou-9 returned to Earth by parachute in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Colonel Liu Yang explored space for 300 hours in her first flight. On her return, she said, “I believe in persevering. If you persevere, success lies ahead of you.” Today, Liu Yang is serving as an active spaceflight instructor, senior officer in the PLA Space Corps. She continues as a leader in China’s national space industry.

Endangered Kemp’s-Ridley sea turtle on the beach. (NOAA Fisheries)

In 1904, Ila Marie Fox was born into a family led by an Iowa country doctor. She attended school in Pella, Iowa, which was established by Dutch immigrants seeking religious freedom. In 1928, Ila graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Even in the “Roaring Twenties,” post-secondary education remained primarily reserved for men until the latter half of the 20th century. Ila was at the vanguard for professional women in America.

While working as a recreational director in Davenport, Iowa, Ila developed a keen interest in aviation because Charles Lindbergh, as part of the Guggenheim Goodwill Tour with the Spirit of St. Louis, had visited Moline. Illinois, in August of 1927. Enthusiasm for flying was planted firmly when Ila began her flight lessons. Also, she promoted aviation at the Moline airport where she had been inspired to fly. On September 1, 1929, at age 25, Ila became the first native born Iowa licensed female pilot and the first woman licensed pilot in Illinois. Her license number was #7738. In November, Amelia Earhart invited Ila to join her to form the Ninety-Nines. This vibrant organization, the International Organization of Women Pilots, still exists today. See https://www.ninety-nines.org/

On June 8, 1933, Ila married engineer, David Loetscher. Later, the couple moved to Bridgewater, New Jersey, where David was a chemical engineer. Ila became a key railroad operator. They had no children. After David’s death in 1955, Ila visited her parents at their Texas winter home. She quickly fell in love with nearby South Padre Island and moved there.

Ila became aware of the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, an endangered species, when she joined a group of volunteers who traveled to Mexico to gather and protect the precious sea turtle eggs from poachers and predators. They relocated the eggs for hatching to a protected South Padre Island beach in Texas, creating nesting grounds.

Each day Ila learned more about the beautiful sea creatures. She developed an affection for them and worked tirelessly for their protection. Under her leadership, the volunteer group received a state rehabilitation license for injured endangered sea turtles. Interest grew in the media and with marine conservationists. In 1977, Ila founded Sea Turtle, Inc., a non-profit corporation focused on protecting and preserving sea turtles, particularly the Kemp’s Ridley. Ila earned the nickname, “The Turtle Lady.”

Ila Loetscher with a beloved sea turtle. (Sea Turtel Inc.)

Soon popular television talk shows were booking “The Turtle Lady.” The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, the Today Show, and Real People expanded Ila’s platform to inform viewers of the endangered species. National Geographic produced a documentary. Today Ila’s Sea Turtle, Inc. is thriving with staff and volunteers working on outreach, education, conservation, and rehabilitation. A new education center and turtle hospital is being added. Ila Fox Loetscher proved one person with passion can make a huge impact. In 1987, the National Wildlife Federation awarded her their Conservation Awareness Award. Ila Fox Lotscher’s aviation legacy was recognized with induction into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame. Ila created enduring aviation and conservation legacies.

Ila Fox Loetscher patrolled the South Padre Island beach. She helped establish the nonprofit organization Sea Turtle, Inc., to educate the public about the endangered sea turtles and provide resources for the rehabilitation of injured turtles and the protection of turtle nests. (Sea Turtle, Inc.)

In Janaury, 2000, Ila Fox Loetscher, age 96, died at South Padre Island, leaving the organization Sea Turtle, Inc. to continue her enduring legacy.

Watch the 11+ minute segment of the November 6, 1985 David Letterman show on YouTube https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=ila+loetchr+with+sea+turtles+youtube#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:cad3ca6a,vid:nr5RygMgKf0,st:0

4+ minute video of Ila the Sea Turtle Lade. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=ila+loetchr+with+sea+turtles+youtube#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:8dc1d55a,vid:hOvtMbgJCrM,st:0

3+ minute video of Ila Loetscher on South Padre Island in Texas https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=ila+loetchr+with+sea+turtles+youtube#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:e58b5e01,vid:BkstTXXThP4,st:0

Learn more about the global work https://www.seaturtleweek.com/

NB to readers: Part of this story appeared in the International Ninety-Nines Magazine under my byline. Your storyteller, Penny Rafferty Hamilton.

She began flight instruction with very little money. Her flight instructor Edwin M. Canfield, needed a parachutist for the flying circus performances. Florence quickly agreed to skydiving to pay for her flight lessons. On June 14, 1928, with minimal parachuting instruction, her first jump from 1,700 feet before a capacity crowd left her unconscious. Florence continued the parachuting because she wanted to fly. Later parachute jumps were better rehearsed and much safer. But, Florence wanted to be the plane’s pilot.

Even before she was a licensed pilot, Florence solicited sponsors to purchase a plane. Florence planned to promote Fargo at 1929 flying meets. Sure enough, Fargo Laundry owner, William T. Lee, and other business leaders raised $3,000 (which is almost $59,000 today) to buy her Waco Monocoupe. Florence christened her new plane, “Miss Fargo” for the many local business sponsors who believed in her.

Florence Klingensmith with “Miss Fargo.” (Clay County Historical Association)

In June, 1929, Klingensmith became North Dakota’s first licensed woman pilot. That summer she barnstormed county fairs and flew in her first air race. She earn the nickname, ‘Tree Tops” because she would fly dangerously low to excite the spectators. On April 19, 1930. Florence set the unofficial women’s inside loop record of 143 completed loops before a small crowd which did not include a National Aeronautics Association Official. So, there was no official record set.

Always the determined sky star, on 22 June 1931, the sky was blue, the air was fresh, and Florence was ready to set a world record. Before more than 50,000 spectators and National Aeronautics Association officials at Minneapolis Wold Chamberlain Field, Florence flew for four and one-half hours wowing the crowd with loops and more loops. Her eyes burned from the sun glare. She was getting sick from the exhaust and constant inside loops. But, she did it. Landing a little groggy and gagged by gas fumes, Florence set a verified world record of 1,078 loops. The world noticed. It was front page news.

In the fall of 1929, she became a founding member of the Ninety-Nines, women’s pilot organization, with her friend, Amelia Earhart, and ninety-seven other intrepid female aviators.

At the 1931 21-mile National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, Florence won four woman-only events and $4,200 (which is almost $90,000 today). Given the time of The Great Depression, this prize money was way more than most workers earned in a year, if they could find employment at all. At the 1932 Nationals, she won the Amelia Earhart Trophy. Considered the top prize in women’s aviation at the time, this was a significant accomplishment. The prize was a new Essex Terraplane automobile and a lot of recognition.

Amelia Earhart and Florence Klingensmith in 1932. (Wikimedia Commons)

Florence continued earning aviation fame and prize money until she was killed flying a bright red Gee Bee Model Y Senior Sportster as the first and only woman invited to entered in the prestigious 1933 $10,000 (over $250,000 in 2026) Frank Phillips Trophy Race at the International Air Races held in Chicago. The fabric-covered airplane originally designed with a Lycoming 220 HP engine now had a 680 HP Lycoming engine.

In the exciting 8^th lap of the 12-lap pylon race, Florence was in fourth place, flying at 200 miles per hour, a tiny bit of the red fabric began to flap in the rushing wind. Florence flew off the race course to avoid crashing into the grand stand. On that fateful September 4, one day after her 29^th birthday, the powerful plane crashed. Florence was killed instantly. This aviation accident was clearly mechanical failure, not pilot error. Even worse, her death was used as an excuse to bar women from competing with men in air races.

Her lifeless body was flown to Fargo for the funeral. The original “Miss Fargo” investors served as her pallbearers. Florence Klingensmith opened the sky for women. Today, her home town airport in Moorhead, Minnesota, is now Florence Klingensmith Field.

My how time flies or soars! The WSPA was founded on June 11, 1986, in Tucson, AZ. According to their web site https://womensoaring.org their charter meeting was the result of a year’s effort and input by the pilots who attended the 1985 Women Soaring Seminar at Air Sailing near Reno, NV. Today, they are thriving with International pilots and scholarships to encourage women to soar. They offer a global network for women interested in this sky sport.

Earlier Grit and Lace stories posted about accomplished glider pilots are Sarah Arnold, the contemporary American female soaring champion-the World Champion, U.S. National Champion, and 2026 recipient of the prestigious international Pelagia Majewska Medal of Honor.

Sarah Arnold (center) with the Champion Soaring Award.

Other stories in the Grit and Lace archive about glider pilots are Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Sabrina Jackintell, and Kalpana Chawla.

Aviation Soaring is also called gliding. An unpowered aircraft sailplane or glider, is piloted using naturally occurring currents of rising air and thermals of warm air to remain airborne and travel long distances.

The Virginia Schweizer Trophy honors the legacy of “Ginny” Mayer (Bennis) Schweizer often called the American First Lady of Soaring. Born in 1922, Ginny Mayer grew up on New York farmland. In those early years of aviation, the area was home to many famous aviation names and aircraft companies. During her teen years, the Long Island AirHoppers Gliding and Soaring Club flew on weekends off a vacant field near her home. Curious, Ginny found the atmosphere fun, friendly, and exciting. Soon, Ginny was hooking up towlines and steadying the glider wings before take-off. Of course, she was invited to start her flight lessons with her new weekend air friends. In those days, single-seat gliders were the norm. Student’s early flights were straight ahead with the instructor sitting on the tow vehicle facing the student. Hand signals were used to tell the student what to do next.

Easing the student into increasing altitudes, speed, and even turns took time. But, students built confidence. By 1941, the soaring club moved to a more formal location at Helms Farm, later called Wurtsboro airport. By now, Ginny was soaring on her own. Then, on Sunday, December 7th word came about the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. Any private flying was now over for Ginny and her soaring club members for the duration of the war. Ginny worked for Grumman and Republic Aircraft during the war. She continued to keep soaring members connected with a newsletter. As soon as World War II was over, Ginny went to the Schweizer Glider Factory in Elmira, New York.

Schweizer Glider factory began in the early 1930s. There Ginny earned her commercial glider license. She became the first woman in the United States to do so. She could now instruct in the sport she loved. Which she did. In New York soaring was seasonal. Ginny partnered with Steve Bennis, an instructor and tow plane pilot. They used war surplus gliders for a soaring operation in Florida in winter. Their new soaring business became one of the first in the nation. The business qualified for GI Bill approved soaring flight training. Ginny instructed. She checked out tow plane pilots, too.

With her growing experience, Ginny competed in soaring competitions. She set many altitude and distance records. In 1947, Ginny became the National Women’s Champion. That year, Ginny became the first American woman to earn the Silver “C” soaring award (#86). This prestigious award shows that the glider pilot achieved an altitude gain of at least 3,281 feet, flew a five-hour or longer flight, and soared cross-county for a minimum distance of 50 km or over 30 miles. The three elements can be achieved simultaneously or in separate flights.

Ginny Bennis Schweizer was passionate about the sport of soaring. (National Soaring Museum)

Unfortunately, in 1948, a glider student froze at the controls. Ginny could not overpower him. Both were badly injured in the crash. Ginny had difficulty walking for the rest of her life. However, her passion for soaring operations continued. She returned to New York to care for her widowed father. Close enough to Elmira to soar often. Her long-time friendship with soaring legend, Paul A. Schweizer, grew into romance. In 1967, Soaring Royalty wed. The “First Lady of Soaring” united with the “Soul of American Soaring.” They became an inseparable team, traveling the world promoting the air sport they both loved.

In 1971, Ginny joined Paul as a Laureate in the National Soaring Hall of Fame. In 1996, she received the National Aeronautical Association Katharine Wright Memorial Trophy. The U.S. Women’s Soaring Pilots Association created the “Virginia M. Schweizer Competition Trophy,” awarded to the female glider pilot with the highest score in the annual soaring championship. Ginny’s dedication and passion reminds me of a poster hanging at a glider port, “God created all women equal. But, the best soar!” Forty years, 14,600 Days, 350,400 Hours of Inspiring Women Who Soar. Happy anniversary to WSPA.

June 1 every year is designated “Say Something Nice Day.” Seriously, words can and do inspire people. The history of this special day is in 2006 the Mayor of North Charleston, South Carolina started “Say Something Nice Day” to recognize the efforts of Dr. Mitch Carnell, author of Say Something Nice: Be a Lifter at Work.

So, here are a few pearls of wisdom from awesome and inspiring women.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. Mother Teresa

If offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on. Christa McAuliffe, U.S. Teacher and Astronaut, perished with her Challenger crew members in 1986. (NASA photograph)

It is never too late in fiction or in life to revise. Nancy Thayer, author

The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become. Gisele Bundchen, Super model and helicopter pilot

You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar. Shaesta Waiz, an American pilot, the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan, and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine airplane. (Wikimedia Commons Djonnagaddala May 4, 2014)

If you ask people what they’ve always wanted to do, most people haven’t done it. That breaks my heart. Angelina Jolie, licensed pilot since 2004. Angelina is an active aviator, utilizing her skills for both personal and humanitarian pursuits.

Too often little attention is paid to individual talent. instead, education goes on dividing people according to their sex, and putting them in little feminine or masculine pigeonholes … Girls are shielded and sometimes helped so much that they lose initiative and begin to believe the signs ‘Girls don’t’ and ‘Girls can’t’ which mark their paths… Consequently, it seems almost necessary to evolve different methods of instruction for them when they later take up the same subjects. For example, those courses which involve mechanical work may have to be explained somewhat differently to girls not because girls are inherently not mechanical, but because normally they have learned little about such things in the course of their education. Amelia Earhart, 1932 (Library of Congress)

To get the job you want, be the best at the job you have. Emily Biss, Test and Demonstration pilot.

In life you are either a passenger or the pilot. You decide. Unknown

More thoughts: Important three Cs of life, Choice, Chance, and Change. You must make the choice to take a chance, if you want anything to change.

Faith makes things possible, not easy.

There are three kinds of people-those who make thing happen- those who wait for things to happen, and those who ask “What happened?”

Dream it. Plan it. Do it!

Focus more on the people who inspire you than on the ones who annoy you. You’ll enjoy life much more and go much further.

The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how we view them.

It is not the things we did we might regret but the things we did not do.

If Plan “A” does not work, always have a back-up plan because you still have 25 more letters left in the alphabet to use for your new plan to reach your goal.

What I loved was that the planes I flew never asked if you were a man or a woman; they flew just as well for me as anyone else. Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Wall Strohfus, pioneering member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. (U.S.A.F. photograph)

U.S.A.F. Thunderbird pilot, Remoshay “Mesha” Nelson, “I now understand that life is truly like flying an airplane. You will experience weather delays, bird strikes, and turbulence on your journey. These are all things you can’t control. The only thing you can do is focus on how you react to things. Life is about 10% what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it. Therefore, always focus your energy on the things you can change, being positive and confident.” (U.S.A.F. photograph)

If you are going to soar high, you need to unload the baggage weighing you down! Penny Rafferty Hamilton, author.

Popular illustrator and artist, Mary Engelbreit, is known for her whimsical, encouraging, and insightful messages about life, happiness, and perspective, with popular ones including, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion“ and “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

Happy “Say Something Nice Day!”

Betsy Ross Air Corps 1931-33

Founded in 1931, by pioneering aviator, Opal Kunz, the new organization was named in honor of the Revolutionary War patriot, Betsy Ross, who supposedly sewed the American flag in Philadelphia. Opal’s vision for the Betsy Ross Air Corps was for a paramilitary air cadre to provide humanitarian emergency service across America. Kunz earned her pilot license in 1929. She was a founding member of the Ninety-Nines. In 1930, she became the first woman to race in an open competition with men at the Philadelphia American Legion Benefit Air Meet. She won that air race. Opal hoped to offer flight instruction for women in the Betsy Ross Air Corps. Opal served as the commander of the Betsy Ross Air Corps for the two years of its existence. Kunz partially funded the organization. At its zenith, about 100 members were part of the Betsy Ross Air Corps. In 1933, the Betsy Ross Air Corps was disbanded because it was never recognized nor supported by the U.S. Army Air Corps. Nevertheless, Opal Kunz continued to be active in American aviation and in flight instruction.

Early American aviator, Opal Kunz, was a charter member of the Ninety Nines. She founded the Betsy Ross Air Corps. Later, in the 1940s, she was co-founder of the Women Flyers of America, Inc. (Wikimedia Commons photograph)

Order of Fifinella

In November of 1944, the Women Airforce Service Pilots-WASP established the Order of Fifinella at Maxwell Air Field, one month before the WASP program was deactivated by the U.S. Army brass. The purpose of the organization was to disseminate information about re-employment opportunities, to maintain communication among the WASP, to form a unified organization to influence legislation, and to encourage potential employers in aviation to hire former WASP. By December 20, 1944, the organization had 300 members. By 1945, membership was over 700. Officers were appointed with an advisory council with representatives from all the WASP classes. The organization grew in membership, produced bi-annual newsletters, coordinated reunions across the country, and maintained a roster for all its members. Sadly, in 2008, the last reunion was held in Irving, Texas. By the next year, the organization was officially dissolved.

Fifinella was a good, female gremlin adopted by the WASP during World War II as their official mascot. Fifi was painted on flight jackets, airplanes, and a symbol of WASP protection. Created by Walt Disney for an animated film, the Disney Company granted the WASP permission to use Fifinella. ((Wikimedia Commons)

U.S. Air Force UPT Class 77-08- First Women Aviators of the Undergraduate Pilot Training Program

On September 2, 1977, ten female U.S. Air Force officers earned their Silver Wings as graduates of the Undergraduate Pilot Training Program (UPT) at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. Graduates include: Captain Connie Engel, Captain Kathy La Sauce, Captain Mary Donahue, Captain Susan Rogers, Captain Christine Schott (Schott is the first woman in the U.S. Air Force to qualify and serve as an aircraft commander), 1st Lt. Sandra Scott, 1st Lt. Victoria Crawford, 2nd Lt. Mary Livingston, 2nd Lt. Carol Scherer, and 2nd Lt. Kathleen Rambo. These U.S. Air Force aviators completed their training with 36 male colleagues, becoming the first female military aviators in the United States Air Force.

In 2016, the entire UPT Class 77-08 of ten U.S. Air Force female pilots was inducted in the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame. (U.S. Air Force photograph)

U.S. Army First Women Rotary Wing Aviators

On June 4, 1974, U.S. Army officer, Sally D. Murphy, became the first female U.S. Army helicopter pilot to graduate from Rotary Wing Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. During the early 1970s, four Army lieutenants and five warrant officers proved women had a place in military aviation and blazed the sky trail for future generations of Army women aviators. In addition to Murphy, Linda Horan DuMoulin, Susan Dunwoody Schoeck, Beverly Birkholtz, and Warrant Officers Jennie Vallance, Diane Dowd, Susan Boring, LaVern Farnsworth, and Mary Reid earned U.S. Army Aviator Wings.

Each has a unique story of persistence to earn their wings. Army pilots assist with both offensive and defensive operations. They perform air assaults in addition to transporting both cargo and personnel. Women in Aviation International inducted the U.S. Army First Women Rotary Wing Aviators into their Pioneer Hall of Fame. These pioneering, military helicopter aviators had what author, Shannon Huffman Polson, the Army’s first female attack helicopter pilot, calls “The Grit Factor.” These path breakers opened the sky for today’s U.S. Army women aviators.

The cover of The Grit Factor book (Amazon)

U.S. Marine Corps First Class of Women Aviators

In 1993, as soon as the U.S. Marine Corps opened aviation slots for female Marines to apply, Sarah Deal boldly applied. In college, Sarah had earned her single and multi-engine ratings. She performed very well on the Kent State Precision Flight Team. In 1992, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Flight Technology, Deal entered the U.S. Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant. The U.S. Marine Corps sent her to Air Traffic Control School. When selected by the U.S. Marine Corps for Naval Aviation training, Sarah began flight training in a Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Quickly, Sarah moved from this single-engine trainer to the TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopter for more advanced training in rotary wing. On April 21, 1995, Sarah earned her aviators wings. Sarah Deal became the U.S. Marine Corps first woman aviator qualified for the rotary wing. Sarah qualified to pilot the Sikorsky Super Stallion, the Marine Corps primary heavy-lift helicopter.

U.S. Marine Corps Super Stallion at work in the air. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph)

Nine trailblazing women joined Sarah “Dimes” Deal as U.S. Marine Aviators: Traci “Powder” Hoffman, Susan “Xena” Jenkins, Melinda “Tink” Rizer Gould, Alison “Rocky” Thompson, Donna “Gidget” Hesterman, Karen Fuller “Stump” Brannen, Jeanne “Xena” Woodfin, Keri “NAG” Berman, and Christine “Mulan” Westrich. In 2021, these ten U.S. Marine Aviators were inducted into the Women in Aviation Intl WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame.

U.S. Navy First Class of Women Aviators

In 1974, the U.S. Navy was the first of the military services to open aviator training slots for women. The first class of Women Naval Aviators to earn their Naval Aviation Wings of Gold are: Barbara Ann Allen, Joellen Drag, Rosemary Merims (Mariner), Judith Neuffer, Jane Skiles, and Ana Marie Scott. These six became the first women to be designated full-fledged U.S. Navy pilots. Their determination and success made it possible for subsequent female naval aviators. In 2017, Women in Aviation International honored the U.S. Navy First Class of Women Aviators with inclusion into their Pioneer Hall of Fame.

Women Military Aviators-WMA

Formed in 1978, WMA promotes and preserves the historic role of women aviators, navigators, and aircrew in the service of their country during war and peace. Membership is worldwide. Networking, mentoring and support of women in military aviation are key WMA missions. In addition to electronic publications, WMA members gather annually at the Women in Aviation International conference, at local luncheons, informal networking meetings, and at WMA Biennial Convention. A scholarship program for women pursuing an aviation degree or pilot license is offered. https://womenmilitaryaviators.org/

NB to readers: Past Grit and Lace postings have highlighted the many contributions of military women worldwide during World War II to contemporary pilots. Several individual military aviators have stories in the archive. This is one big military salute and thank you to all of them on this very special 250^th USA year and Memorial Day.

Which attitude do you want to have?

Two stonecutters were asked what they were doing.

The first said, “I’m cutting these stones into blocks.”

The second replied, “I’m on a team that’s building a cathedral.”

A nurse and a pilot, Ellen Church successfully created a new job to reach the sky. Born on September 22, 1904 in Cresco, Iowa, Ellen graduated from the local high school. She packed her bags for nursing school in California. She worked in a San Francisco hospital. She discovered flying. Soon, a newly minted pilot and nurse, Ellen sent applications to Boeing Air Transport (BAT). Although she did not have the required flying hours to even be considered for a pilot opening, because of her gender that opportunity in the late 1920s did not even exist.

But, Ellen has a unique proposal. Her pitch to BAT executive Steve Stimpson was on passenger safety and comfort. Using the actual aviation history of Wright Brothers’ Sister, Katharine, in 1909, when Katharine took flight with her brothers to calm the public’s fear of flying. After all, if a woman could do it, how dangerous could it be?

Plus as a trained nurse, Ellen Church was prepared to handle passenger medical emergencies. Ellen’s first BAT flight took off on May 15, 1930. Her first flight was 20-hours from Oakland/San Francisco to Chicago with 13 stops and 14 passengers.

Boeing 80A in flight. (Wikimedia Commons)

According to one source, the pilot on this historic flight was another aviation pioneer, Elrey Jeppesen, the founder of the world-famous Jeppesen Airway Manual or aeronautical charts. In 1936, Elrey married United Airlines flight attendant, Nadine Liscomb. Together, they built the Jeppesen Company into an industry leader. Today, it is known as Jeppesen ForeFlight.

In 1930, Boeing Air Transport (BAT) hired Ellen Church. She became their first female flight stewardess (or ‘sky girl’ as BAT christened them) – and she recruited seven others. All BAT sky girls had to be registered nurses, single, younger than 25, shorter than 5ft 4in and weigh less than 115lbs.

In 1930, BAT hired Church as head stewardess. As for Boeing Air Transport, a year after introducing air hostesses, it merged with three other airlines to form United Airlines. (Wikimedia Commons)

In addition to attending to the passengers, “Sky Girls” were expected to, when necessary, help with hauling luggage, fueling, and assisting pilots to push the aircraft into hangars. However, the salary was very good at $125 a month. Today, that would be almost $2,500. In 1930, at the start of the Great Depression, the average monthly salary for many working women was often between $40 and $70.

According to Irene Jagla, writing for the Museum of Flight on March, 19, 2018, “Commercial aviation as we know it today owes a lot to Ellen Church—America’s first stewardess and the woman who contributed to creating the very first flight safety regulations. Back in the early 1930s, these were not easy tasks. So how did Church do it?...In 1928, she finally scored a meeting with Boeing VP Steve Stimson and threw him a curve ball, instead of interviewing for a job as a pilot, she delivered a presentation about the role of women in aviation. Using Katharine Wright--sister to Orville and Wilbur who flew with them publicly--as an example, Church showed that when women are on board an aircraft, the general public develops a more trusting view of flight. Church proposed that Boeing put her on its flights as a nurse to care for passengers while serving as the trustworthy public face of commercial aviation. This struck a chord with Stimson, who knew that Boeing’s current approach to attracting customers wasn’t working. Boeing needed to show potential passengers that its flights were safe and accessible in order to fill seats on its airmail routes...

“After a few flights Church realized that passengers could mistake the cabin door that leads to a 12,000-foot drop with the door that leads to the restroom because they both had the same knobs. So, in addition to completing her many tasks, Church found time to invent the jump-seat, that extra seat that folds down on the main cabin door to ensure that passengers safely navigate around the cabin…The innovation was a resounding success - the other airlines followed BAT’s example over the next few years - but an injury from an automobile accident ended her career after only 18 months.”

Even today, jump seats are designed into modern aircraft. Jump seats are usually positioned near aircraft doors or in key areas of the cabin. They include a full safety harness rather than a standard seat belt and fold away when not in use to keep the cabin clear. Their placement allows the crew to react quickly and carry out safety procedures during critical phases of flight.

On May 15, 1930, Boeing Air Transport became the first airline in the United States to introduce a new service-an on-board air hostess. A pioneering group of eight women, headed by Ellen Church who herself came up with the idea, took to the sky. Church’s idea was that the uncomfortable aircraft of the day needed a registered nurse on board to look after any possible needs of the passengers, and since Church herself was a registered nurse, she could do the job. This uniform is the exact one worn by Ellen Church herself, except for the hat. (San Diego Air and Space Museum)

After leaving United Airlines, Ellen earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota. She became Pediatrics Supervisor at Milwaukee County Hospital. Not surprisingly, during World War II, Ellen served in the Army Nurse Corps as a captain and flight nurse. She was awarded an Air Medal.

World War II Flight Nurse Uniform. (U.S.A.F. Museum archive)

After the war, Ellen earned a Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Chicago. Church moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, to become the Director of Nursing. Later, she became Union Hospital Administrator. In 1964, Ellen married Terre Haute First National Bank President, Leonard Briggs Marshall. In August, 1965, Ellen tragically died in a horse riding accident.

Her hometown named Cresco’s municipal airport Ellen Church Field (KCJJ) in her honor. “Her name serves forever as a symbol of the selfless devotion that resounds in the hearts of nurses and stewardesses all over the world,” according to the airport web site.

Air hostesses soon became glamorized as air stewardesses, and were subject to strict standards in height, weight, age, appearance, and marital status. In the wild 1960s and early 1970s, air stewardesses often had to wear skimpy outfits as uniforms. As Feminism and labor rights evolved, the flight attendant profession was re-defined as married women, and men joined the cabin crews. The title became gender-neutral “flight attendant” or the even more respectful “cabin crew,” and today’s flight attendants are safety professionals, as well as air hosts and hostesses.

1930s-1950s: The roles were heavily gendered, termed “stewardesses,” “air hostesses,” or “sky girls,” with strict requirements for women to be single, young, and registered nurses

1945/1949: The first union for the profession, the Air Line Stewardess Association (now the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA), was formed, setting the stage for professionalizing the role.

1960s-1970s: Increased hiring of men and legal battles against sexist hiring practices led to the widespread adoption of “flight attendant” to reflect the professional, safety-focused nature of the job.

By 1973, according to the National Air and Space Museum, the profession was increasingly opening up to men, finalizing the shift away from female-only titles. 1973 was also a breakthrough year for women on the airline flight deck with trailblazers as Emily Howell Warner (Frontier Airlines) and Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo (American Airlines) hired as U.S. airline pilots.

1982 Rocky Mountain Airways (RMA) White stag designer Cabin Crew uniforms were advertised. (Courtesy Terry Leary, former RMA Flight Attendant)

Today when the airliner flight and cabin crews are all female, the flight is referred to as “unmanned.” The all-female Brazilian Azul Airlines crew staged a celebration before their “unmanned” flight. (Wikimedia Commons)

Because of high demand with major and regional airlines, charter, corporate, and private jets, labor statistics forecast continued high demand for flight attendants. About 75% are women with an average age of 49.

Fun Instagram messages from Flight Attendants: Seeing the world, one flight at a time! Jetting off to new horizons! My office views are better than yours! Soaring high and living the dream! My friends don’t ask “How are you?” they ask “Where are you?” Happiness is landing in a new place! Life is short, make every flight count! Memories made at 36,000 feet!

Several YouTube videos on How to Become a Flight Attendant

Legendary aviator, Amy Johnson, was born in England in 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. From an early age, Amy was destined to make flying her life. The eldest of four sisters, Amy grew up in a secure, merchant-class family. Amy avidly read the newspaper stories about famous World War I British Aces in the Royal Flying Corps. These stories of heroic pilots stayed with her.

For a short while, Amy studied at Sheffield University. But, adventurous Amy started a new life in London. She secured a typist position with a law firm. In the 1920s, the newspapers were now filled with aviation stories about rich and titled women, such as Lady Heath and Lady Bailey. Amy thought she would try her skills at the aerodrome in North London. On a Sunday afternoon, she boarded the bus to arrive into a world of exciting opportunity. She fell in love with flying.

Amy Johnson in her Gipsy Moth named Jason. Determined to finish her historic solo flight from England to Australia in 1930. The preferred, historically accurate spelling for the airplane is Gipsy Moth (with an ‘i’), as it was named after the de Havilland Gipsy engine. While the insect is spelled with a ‘y’, the aircraft, specifically the de Havilland DH.60, generally uses “Gipsy” in its name and on its manufacturer’s, de Havilland Aircraft Company, engine data. (Wikimedia Commons)

Johnson described her feelings on flying, “There is nothing more wonderful and thrilling than going up into the spaciousness of the skies in a tiny plane where you are alone, at peace with everyone, and exactly free to do what you want and go where you will.” Amy spent all her spare time at the aerodrome. With financial help from her father, Amy pursued flying lessons. She was an excellent student. In 1928, Amy became one of the first British women to gain her pilot’s license. Also, she became Britain’s first female aircraft ground engineer, which qualified and licensed Amy to certify the airworthiness of an aircraft.

Amy Johnson was talented and beautiful which made her popular with the press and her legions of fans. (Wikimedia Commons)

Amy was always a big thinker. In May, 1930, she meticulously planned her flight from England to Australia. She knew her de Havilland Gipsy Moth, she named “Jason,” inside and out. But, with little knowledge available about the terrain along her route, she just drew a straight line with a ruler on what few aviation charts existed as the most direct route. Remember, in 1930, no radio links existed. There were no reliable weather forecasts. There was no emergency assistance on the ground. Hers was a flight into the unknown, alone, in an open cockpit airplane. All her refueling points were based on the straight line course she had plotted. Amy’s longest flight up to this point had been the 145 miles from London to her home town of Hull. It was a blessing that Amy did not know what she did not know!

Nevertheless, on May 5, 1930, Amy set off on her solo flight to Darwin; Australia. The British press went wild with their major focus on her gender. As her perilous journey was reported daily, they named her, “British Girl Lindbergh,” “Wonderful Miss Johnson,” and “The Lone Girl Flyer.” Actually, the magnitude of Amy’s attempt warranted all the hype. Yes, this gutsy woman made aviation history with this 11,000 mile quest.

Along the way, a freak sandstorm in Iraq forced a desert landing. In India, she surprised an entire Army garrison when she landed on their parade ground. They had never seen a woman pilot before. They celebrated her landing for an entire day. Newspaper readers were fascinated with the story. Many held their breath as our British heroine flew bravely on. Next challenge was a monsoon in Burma. Then, still in Burma (Myanmar today), a bumpy landing in Rangoon ripped a hole in Jason’s wing and damaged its propeller. Miraculously, a local technical institute unpacked World War I surplus shirts for fabric to fix the wing. With rudimentary tools, the propeller was fixed and reinstalled. Miracle after miracle kept Amy and Jason flying and the media and readers fascinated.

Amy Johnson in Australia with her beloved Jason. (Wikipedia)

The press could not make up all the things that actually happened to this British heroine and her little airplane. Soon, her story took on mythical proportions as a modern version of the Greek Jason and his Argonauts Odyssey. Intrepid Amy Johnson landed in Australia on Saturday, May 24, 1930 to a tumultuous welcome. The worldwide celebrations lasted for six weeks. She was an international Super Sky Star. She was the “it” girl. Women asked that their hair be styled in the “Amy Johnson wave.” At least ten popular songs were written about her. The most famous was “Amy, Wonderful Johnson, Amy.”

Fan mail poured in by the ton…An envelope addressed to “Amy wat flies in England” reached her. Naturally, she was exhausted by the physical and mental strain of her flight, let alone the weeks of celebrations everywhere. Amy did what she had always done, she returned to her peace in the sky. In July, 1931, Johnson flew with her mentor and mechanic, Jack Humphreys, to Tokyo, Japan. They set world record times to both Moscow and Japan. Then, another love entered Amy’s life.

In 1932, after a short courtship, Amy married record-setting, Scottish pilot, Jim Mollison. The world now fell head over heels in love with the “flying sweethearts.” Also, in 1932, Amy set another record for her solo flight from London to Cape Town, South Africa. The next year, Amy and Jim flew together across the Atlantic Ocean. A dangerous flight given the storms and few navigation and communications instruments that were available. Because of the long distance, they had to carry a large amount of fuel. On August 1, 1933, they reached the United States making them the first married couple to fly the Atlantic east to west. They had planned on a New York landing but due to weather, a navigation error, and running out of fuel, they crash landed in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This “minor detail” was overlooked by the over 50,000 adoring fans attending their New York City ticker tape parade.

Wait, there is more: The intrepid aviator couple flew a new de Havilland DH 88 Comet in the famed MacRobertson Air Race. Aviators were to fly from London to South Africa with winners announced for various legs of the course. Early on, the world’s flying sweethearts set another record-breaking time. However, in India, engine trouble grounded their hopes of winning significant prize money. In May, 1936, Amy Johnson flew from England to South Africa alone, regaining her previous record. Although the couple remained friends, they divorced in 1938. Then, the winds of War blew into Europe again. In 1940, Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. Her job was to ferry airplanes around the county for delivery to the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Tragically, in 1941, on a cold Sunday, January 5 morning, Amy Johnson left Blackpool flying an Airspeed Oxford twin-engine monoplane for delivery to the RAF. Get ready, this does not end well. Either mechanical failure, poor navigation in snowy conditions, fuel starvation, or all these contributing factors ended the life of one of Britain’s brightest sky stars. Her body was never recovered. Although, later, some personal items, her logbook, and a travel bag washed up nearby on the shores of the Thames Estuary. Johnson was declared missing and dead from drowning.

Amy Johnson in society photograph (Library of Congress)

Of course, some rumors started immediately about a “secret mission.” Newspapers even picked up the idea that a second person, a “Mr. “X,” was in the plane when it crashed into the water. Some reported that Amy parachuted out but landed in the water where rescuers could not reach her in time. The mystery of her disappearance only adds to the mystique of her legacy in aviation history. Her story is one of soaring above adversity. In 2016, Johnson was celebrated with induction into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame.

Two primary films detailing the life of pioneering British aviator Amy Johnson were made. They Flew Alone (1942): Also known as Wings and the Woman, this British biopic stars Anna Neagle as Amy Johnson, covering her life and aviation career. Amy (1984): A British television drama starring Harriet Walter as Amy Johnson, focusing on the years leading up to her 1941 disappearance.

5+ minute video

April 24, 1929 at only 17 years old, Elinor Smith set an aviation endurance record in a Bellanca monoplane, flying 26 hours, 21 minutes, and 32 seconds over Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York.

Elinor Smith on April 24, 1929 waving to the crowd gathered at Roosevelt Field Long Island celebrating yet another record-breaking aviation record for women.

Born in 1911 into a successful vaudeville family living in Freeport, New York, Elinor Regina Patricia Smith was destined to be a sky star. Elinor led an exciting life filled with firsts and extremes encouraged by her family of performers. Her father changed their name from Ward to Smith. Tom was popular and appeared in many stage productions. In 1914, the family packed up for Europe to accompany Tom in the touring production of The Wizard of Oz. Tom played the iconic role of the scarecrow. That adventure was cut short when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated which triggered World War I. The family escaped on the last ship to sail from France before War was declared.

Vivacious Elinor took her first airplane ride at only age six in a Farman pusher biplane. She was hooked. Elinor once said, “I remember so vividly my first time aloft that I can still hear the wind swing in the wires as we glided down. By the time the pilot touched the wheels gently to earth, I knew my future in airplanes and flying was inevitable as the freckles on my nose.”

The French Farman biplane was used as a training airplane. (SMU Central Libraries)

Six-year-old Elinor spent that entire summer begging rides from famous French pilot, Louis Gaubert. He was performing in New York and “adopted” the family of Francophiles. Gaubert allowed little Elinor to “fly.” Upon landing, he informed her father, “She has the touch.” Her father began hiring pilots to fly him to his performances with Elinor invited to fly along. At age ten, she began informal flying lessons. Her mother insisted she learn French, piano, and tap dancing, too! Elinor soloed at 15. At age 16, she became America’s youngest pilot ever to receive a license, female or male. Her licensed was signed by Orville Wright. Recognizing her competency, Orville Wright ultimately finalized her Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) license in 1928. On the very same day she earned her FAI pilot license, she broke the world’s altitude record. flying her father’s Waco biplane to 11,874 feet.

On October 21, 1928, Elinor accomplished what no other pilot had successfully done before. She became the first and only pilot to successfully fly under all four New York City East River bridges--the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Queensboro bridges – dodging several ships along the way. In her memoir, The Aviatrix, Elinor tells the story of the sage advice Charles Lindbergh gave her just before 17-year-old Elinor took off to fly under the four East River suspension bridges in New York City. As she mentally prepared for her flight in her cockpit, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tan, thin pilot approaching her. As he got closer, Elinor recognized that it was the world-famous Charles Lindbergh. She must have held her breath and hid her excitement. Then, Charles Lindbergh approached her cockpit, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said: “Good luck, kid. Keep your nose down in the turns”. This advice was specifically aimed at navigating the danger of stalling or losing control while maneuvering the plane at low altitudes and during turns. Because male pilots at Curtiss Field doubted Elinor’s abilities, they dared her to fly under the famous Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges.

Elinor noted that Lindbergh’s advice was helpful for navigating the tight, low-level turns required for the stunt. Plus, that the most famous aviator in the world came over to give her advice must have given plucky Elinor even more confidence in her flying skills. Despite facing hazards—including scaffolds on the Queensboro Bridge and shipping traffic—she successfully navigated all four bridges. She became the only person to ever fly a landplane under all four bridges. She flew sideways beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. She put a finishing flourish on her epic flight by circling the Statue of Liberty…twice!

Of course, the media-savvy family clued in the press who were stationed strategically to capture this spectacular aviation flight. Elinor immediately became news. Her epic flying feat was captured on news reels and was on newspaper front-pages. The press dubbed her, “The Flying Flapper of Freeport.” Several government agencies tried to permanently ground Elinor for the stunt. Her license was temporarily revoked. But, the Mayor of New York intervened. All of which only continued to fuel the publicity. In fact, Elinor was offered a job by Waco to demonstrate and deliver planes to their clients in the Northeast. She was paid a wage equal to male Waco company pilots. Customers enjoyed having their new purchase flown in by this celebrity female pilot. Some even called the local press to cover the event.

Next, Elinor was approached by the Brunner Winkle Aircraft Corporation to set an endurance record with their newest Bird biplane. Elinor knew Viola Gentry set the record for women at eight hours. Then, Bobbi Trout broke that solo endurance record at 12 hours. In January, 1929, Smith bested both, managing 13 hours and 16+ minutes in the air. Alas, world class pilot, Louise Thaden, quickly surpassed Elinor’s record. On April 24, 1929, Elinor then took to the sky again. She set the women’s solo endurance record of 26 hours, 23 minutes, and 16 seconds!! Oh, those magnificent women in their flying machines! In 1929, Elinor toured the U.S. air show circuit piloting a Bellanca Pacemaker for a group of parachutists promoting the Irvin Parachute Company.

In 1930, Elinor was voted the best woman pilot in the United States by her peers. In 1931, Elinor set another altitude record of 32,576 feet. She continued a record-setting aviation career as the first woman test pilot for both Fairchild and Bellanca aircraft companies. Elinor, the entertainer, became an aviation correspondent for NBC radio. Later, Smith became the aviation editor of the popular general interest weekly news magazine, Liberty. Elinor became the first woman to appear on a Wheaties cereal box.

In 1934, Elinor Smith was the first female celebrity pilot to appear on the popular Wheaties cereal box. Although the General Mills company executives put her on the back of the box! (Wikipedia)

Record-setting pilot, Elinor Smith. (Library of Congress archival photograph)

In 1933, Elinor took time away from aviation to raise a family. She married Patrick Sullivan, a New York State Assemblyman. Together they raised four children. In 1956, after her husband’s death, Elinor took to the sky again. Enjoying the freedom of the air. In 1960, Elinor piloted a T-33 jet trainer. Her flying experience spanned from the rudimentary Farman to the jet age.

Lockheed Shooting Star T-33 jet. (U.S.A.F. archival photograph)

At almost 90 years young, she became the oldest pilot to master a shuttle landing on the NASA Space Shuttle flight simulator. At the age of 89, Smith piloted her last flight when she flew an experimental C33 Raytheon AGATE, Beech Bonanza out of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Elinor still “had the touch.”

In 2001, for her contributions to aviation, Elinor Smith joined the many trailblazers honored in the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. On March 19, 2010, Elinor Smith Sullivan flew West a few months short of age 99. A rather appropriate number for one of America’s pioneer women pilots.

Elinor Smith Sullivan Quote: “Children must be allowed to dream and have a horizon to work toward. For me there was only one path: I knew from age six that I wanted to fly. Flying was the very breath of life to me and I was successful because I loved it so much.”

Elinor Smith Memoir of her life and love of aviation. (Amazon)

Short 1+ minute video of trailblazer Elinor Smith Sullivan

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=you+tube+elinor+smirh#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:efb114e0,vid:WTL_ejHRV5c,st:0

Jerrie Mock earned worldwide acclaim on Friday night April 17, 1964, when she landed her Cessna 180, Three Eight Charlie, in Ohio on the runway at the Port Columbus International Airport. She was the first woman to successfully fly solo around the world. (Wikipedia)

In 1925, Geraldine “Jerrie” Fredritz was born in Ohio. Jerrie enjoyed outdoor games and sports. Her lifelong interest in flying began at age seven. Her father took her on a Ford Trimotor flight. Sometimes called “Tin Goose,” this airplane was popular for passenger transportation. Just as Henry Ford’s cars and tractors were well made, the Trimotor had a combination of metal structure and simple systems which contributed to its safety and ruggedness. Jerrie’s father even got her a ride in the cockpit so she saw all the dials and controls, and the big view of the sky.

Ford Trimotor in flight. (Wikipedia)

She was hooked. At age 11, Amelia Earhart was her idol. She rushed home from school to listen to the radio for reports on Earhart’s attempt to fly around the world. Jerrie continued to listen for Amelia updates, even after all hope was lost.

In high school, Jerrie was the only girl in the engineering class. Aviation was still her passion. She headed to Ohio State University to study aeronautical engineering. She was the only female in that program. In 1945, before she graduated, Jerrie left OSU to marry, Russell Mock. They built their family with an eye toward the sky. By 1958, both Jerrie and Russ earned their private pilot rating. They enjoyed flying with their three children, using aviation to take them where they had never been before.

Jerrie always yearned to “see the world.” What better way than to fly around the world? No woman had yet done it since Amelia’s ill-fated attempt. From her Ohio suburban home, Jerrie began carefully planning for her flight. She enlisted the help of U.S. Air Force pilots about how best to plan her stops, giving special thought to cultural norms, wars, natural disasters, and weather. She contacted foreign embassies for their paperwork and requirements for fuel, food, and a multitude of logistical details. She even planned on wearing a skirt with a modest sweater and sensible shoes for the entire trip to be culturally sensitive to travel in other countries. Although, often she put on high heels after she landed to meet the crowd of greeters at the airport!

Her airplane was her single engine Cessna 180 Skywagon, which was now christened the “Spirit of Columbus” for Columbus, Ohio which was named to honor the explorer, Christopher Columbus. She also wanted to pay homage to Charles Lindbergh and his 1927 “Spirit of St. Louis,” solo flight. Jerrie nicknamed her plane, “Charlie” because of its tail number.

This unassuming, 38-year-old housewife and mother of three left the runway of Port Columbus airport on the chilly Thursday morning of March 19, 1964. Her epic quest began. The world held its breath. The press dubbed Jerrie, “The Flying Housewife.” Because of the media focus on this important flight, often a very tired Jerrie would be greeted at airports with great fanfare. For example, the president of the Aero Club of Morocco hosted Jerrie in his beautiful home with a huge celebration dinner party. During her travels in Saudi Arabia, where women were not even allowed to drive cars, it was considered very strange that her government allowed her to fly anywhere.

In an interview, Jerrie said she had plenty of harrowing moments, from landing by mistake on an Egyptian military base to seeing a burning wire aboard her plane loaded with extra fuel. During Jerrie’s epic flight, she encountered bad weather, sandstorms, airplane icing, and mechanical failures, which merely meant Plan B and fly on. (Wikipedia)

In all, Jerrie Mock flew for 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes, flying about 23,000 miles, alone in a single-engine Cessna 180 Skywagon. Over 18 hours was flown over water. She had no escort planes nor today’s navigation equipment. This flight was 62 years ago. Her odyssey certainly gave her an opportunity to see the world. She flew East from Columbus, Ohio to Bermuda in the Western North Atlantic Ocean, Santa Marie in the Azores, Casablanca in Morocco, Bone in Algeria, Tripoli in Libya, Cairo in Egypt, Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, Karachi in Pakistan, Delhi and Calcutta in India, Bangkok in Thailand, Manila in the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, Honolulu, Oakland, Tucson, El Paso, Bowling Green, landing back home at Port Columbus Ohio Airport at 9:36 p.m., April 17, 1964.

This astonishing accomplishment included so many firsts for Jerrie Mock: first woman to fly solo around the word, first woman to fly around the world in a single-engine airplane, first woman to fly from the United States to Africa via the North Atlantic, first woman to fly the Pacific Ocean in a single engine airplane, first woman to fly both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, first woman to fly the Pacific Ocean in both directions. She also established a women’s world aviation speed record with this successful around the world flight. To say, Jerrie Mock made the world notice is an understatement.

The awards and recognition for her stunning achievements came from all over the world. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Aviation Trades Association Pilot of the Year, Amelia Earhart Memorial Award, and the Federal Aviation Administration Gold Medal presented at the White House by the President of the United States, not to mention all the Ohio and aviation organizations awards. .

Jerrie Mock was awarded the Federal Aviation Administration Gold Medal for Exceptional Service at the White House Rose Garden by President Lyndon Johnson on May 4^th, 1964. (Wikipedia)

Her flight was widely recognized, not only as an important aviation accomplishment, but also for the American “can do” attitude of a woman born and raised in what the main stream media sometimes describe as “fly over America.”

In 1970, Jerrie published the story of her epic around-the-world flight, Three-Eight Charlie.

Cover of Jerrie Mock’s around the world flight book. (Amazon)

The Skywagon was registered as N1538C. So, Three-Eight-Charlie would be her radio call sign in the air and on the ground. Three-Eight Charlie now hangs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

“Charlie now “flies” at the National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian Air and Space)

In 2008, Women in Aviation International added this incredible woman to the Pioneer Hall of Fame. For the 50^th anniversary of Jerrie’s around the world flight in 2014, a life-sized bronze statue depicting Mock holding a globe was unveiled at Port Columbus airport. Also, the milestone anniversary was commemorated with an exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum.

“Her legacy of dedication, perseverance, and belief in (herself) will forever inspire a community and a nation,” Elaine Roberts, president of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, said of Jerrie Mock. Jerrie flew West a few months after the 50^th anniversary celebration. Mock didn’t want a funeral service. Instead, she requested, her cremated ashes be scattered from a plane flying over the Gulf of Mexico.

Two+ minute video salute to trailblazer, Jerrie Mock.