Elizabeth Lockhart Mr Berardo Aviation History November 18, 2014
Women Airforce Service Pilots: WASPs
A wasp is loosely defined as a winged insect with a narrow waist and a stinger. They’re annoying little bugs that hurt when they sting. Although, a WASP, is something entirely different. A WASP is the acronym for Women Airforce Service Pilots. Which operated during World War 2. This organization began as two separate groups; the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). The two groups merged and on August 5, 1943 became one large organization, the WASPs. In May of 1940 Nancy Harkness Love began recruiting female pilots to ferry airplanes for the US military. She recruited 49 women …show more content…
The trainees spent nearly 12 hours a day at the airfield. Half of their day was spent flying in crowded airspace doing stalls, spins, turns, take offs, and landings. The other half of the day consisted of ground school studying navigation, flight training, physics, aerodynamics, electronics, math, weather, communications, and much more. By the time graduation rolled around, the women had spent 560 hours in ground school and 210 hours in flight training. The women followed a strict military regimen. The women had six women to a room and one bathroom for twelve girls and, they marched everywhere. They took part in parades, infantry drills, barracks inspection and oaths of allegiance just like their male counterparts. By February of 1943 the program had moved toAvenger Field in Sweetwater Texas where there was a better facility for training. This facility had centralized housing, classrooms, repair hangars, a dining hall, increased air space, a fenced perimeter, and more aircraft available for training. Before the end, 18 classes passed through the …show more content…
Which had been a long time goal of General Arnold and Jackie Cochran. Because the WASPs were civilians they had no insurance, no burial and death benefits, no military rank and no veterans benefits. Although, women serving in other branches had these benefits, because they were serving in a military group. On June 21 of 1944 a bill for the militarization of the WASP was defeated by 19 votes. By October 3rd Jackie Cochran had sent a letter to all WASPs to inform them of the deactivation of the program. The War Department announced that the decision was made because there were indications that before the year was up, they would have enough male pilots to fill all flying assignments. December 7th 1944 the last group of pilots graduated from the WASP program. Then on December 20 1944 the WASPs were officially no
Women Airforce Service Pilots: WASPs
A wasp is loosely defined as a winged insect with a narrow waist and a stinger. They’re annoying little bugs that hurt when they sting. Although, a WASP, is something entirely different. A WASP is the acronym for Women Airforce Service Pilots. Which operated during World War 2. This organization began as two separate groups; the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). The two groups merged and on August 5, 1943 became one large organization, the WASPs. In May of 1940 Nancy Harkness Love began recruiting female pilots to ferry airplanes for the US military. She recruited 49 women …show more content…
The trainees spent nearly 12 hours a day at the airfield. Half of their day was spent flying in crowded airspace doing stalls, spins, turns, take offs, and landings. The other half of the day consisted of ground school studying navigation, flight training, physics, aerodynamics, electronics, math, weather, communications, and much more. By the time graduation rolled around, the women had spent 560 hours in ground school and 210 hours in flight training. The women followed a strict military regimen. The women had six women to a room and one bathroom for twelve girls and, they marched everywhere. They took part in parades, infantry drills, barracks inspection and oaths of allegiance just like their male counterparts. By February of 1943 the program had moved toAvenger Field in Sweetwater Texas where there was a better facility for training. This facility had centralized housing, classrooms, repair hangars, a dining hall, increased air space, a fenced perimeter, and more aircraft available for training. Before the end, 18 classes passed through the …show more content…
Which had been a long time goal of General Arnold and Jackie Cochran. Because the WASPs were civilians they had no insurance, no burial and death benefits, no military rank and no veterans benefits. Although, women serving in other branches had these benefits, because they were serving in a military group. On June 21 of 1944 a bill for the militarization of the WASP was defeated by 19 votes. By October 3rd Jackie Cochran had sent a letter to all WASPs to inform them of the deactivation of the program. The War Department announced that the decision was made because there were indications that before the year was up, they would have enough male pilots to fill all flying assignments. December 7th 1944 the last group of pilots graduated from the WASP program. Then on December 20 1944 the WASPs were officially no