Women Airforce Service Pilots - Wikipedia The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots[2] or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots[3]) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became trained pilots who tested aircraft, ferried aircraft, and trained other pilots. Their purpose was to free male pilots for combat roles during World War II. Despite various members of the armed forces being involved in the creation of the program, the WASP and its members had no military standing. WASP was preceded by the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Both were organized separately in September 1942. They were pioneering organizations of civilian women pilots, who were attached to the United States Army Air Forces to fly military aircraft during World War II. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization. The WASP arrangement with the US Army Air Forces ended on December 20, 1944. During its period of operation, each member's service had freed a male pilot for military combat or other duties. They flew over 60 million miles; transported every type of military aircraft; towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun practice; simulated strafing missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members lost their lives and one, Gertrude Tompkins, disappeared while on a ferry mission, her fate still unknown.[4] In 1977, for their World War II service, the members were granted veteran status,[5] and in 2009 awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.[6][7] After their training, the WASP were stationed at 122 air bases across the U.S.,[82] where they assumed numerous flight-related missions, and relieved male pilots for combat duty.[83] Ferrying planes from factory to airbases made up the first duties of the WASP.[84] During World War II, women pilots flew 80 percent of all ferrying missions.[85] They delivered over 12,000 aircraft.[59] WASP freed around 900 male pilots for combat duty during World War II.
Knew a fellow whose mother was a WASP. When she got married she was grounded by hubby. Only after the son was 13 did she and another former WASP rent aplane and fly again.
Saw a document and was a bit shocked as well as women and men who flew the bombers from the US to Europe were missing i.e. died doing their mission.
Good book is Amelia Earhardt's Daughters. Talks about Jackie Cochran and the women who became Wasps. I just learned that there were two California Chinese women who were WASPS. If they had multiple ratings, they could fly anything from a single seat figher to a multi-engine bomber. Lucky them.
The British equivalent was the Air Transport Auxiliary - "ancient and tattered airmen". Started in 1939. Women joined from 1940. During the war ATA employed 168 women, including the famous trail-blazing pilot Amy Johnson (killed in January 1941). American pilot Jacqueline Cochran brought a group of american pilots to serve in the ATA in March 1942 before she returned to set up WASP There is a museum near Maidenhead. Air Transport Auxiliary
Because the ATA ferried aircraft in British airspace that could be penetrated by German aircraft, theirs was a more dangerous task than our WASPs. Some of those women wished they had been taught some evasive manuevers should they encounter a German aircraft. The RAF wasn't going to provide that.
If you guys remember Tora! Tora! Tora! there was a scene where a women flight instructor was training her pupil on a Stearman biplane. They suddenly found themselves in the middle of a Japanese air group and her response was to dive away. Anyway, if I recall correctly, she became a WASP and crashed b/c of some hotshot pilot in another plane did some aerial flirting with her and got too close. May she RIP.
Weather - engine failure - navigation errors - icing. North Atlantic air ferry route in World War II - Wikipedia
Like Amelia, Amy Johnson flew to Darwin and we named Amy Johnson Avenue after her...don't be fooled by the word avenue - "Amy Johnson Avenue is a major arterial road in Darwin's eastern suburbs" This is a picture of her landing in Darwin...
Not to deean the sacrifice of men who disappeared over the Atlantic, but it's one thing to go down because of pilot error, mechanical faiure, or weather and quite another to be shot down in flames while on a transport mission.
