Fly Girls Read online

  for tourists, 29

  training program, 30, 48

  women flying heavy planes, 25

  women volunteering during war, 18, 25–27

  women’s jobs after the war, 162

  See also airplane types; specific pilots by name

  Piper Cubs, airplanes, 106

  Plans Division, Army Air Corps, 19–20

  Poland, invasion of, 11

  Poole, Barbara, 56, 87–88

  Porter, Helen, 169–170

  Powder Puff Derby, 163

  PQ-8 drones, 101

  precision flying teams, 170, 174

  PT-17 Stearman biplanes, 88–89

  PT-19 trainer planes, 56, 67, 87–88, 93

  publications on women’s war efforts, 142–148, 151–152

  public’s view of women in the military, 147, 148, 151–152, 164

  Purple Heart, 44, 149

  pursuit planes, 85

  Q

  Queen Bee B-17, 46

  R

  racial integration, 66

  racial segregation, 39, 65

  racism, 10

  radar, 19

  Ramspeck, Robert, 149

  Ramspeck Report, 149–152

  Rawlinson, Mabel, 108–111

  RCA, 3

  records of WASP unit closed by government, 163, 168

  redlined planes, 105–106

  refueling missions, 173–174

  refugee ships, 12

  repaired planes, testing, 69

  Robertson, Jeanne, 89

  Rockwell, Norman, 139

  Roosevelt, Eleanor, 17, 18–19, 51, 73

  Roosevelt, Franklin D.

  address nation about Japanese attack, 35–36

  call for citizens to fight, 140

  on Churchill’s call for New World help, 23

  death of, 129

  declared war on Japan, 33, 35

  executive order ending automobile production, 39–40

  fireside chats, 36

  Great Depression, relief during, 2–3

  military budget increase, 8

  military buildup, 16

  at New York World’s Fair, 1, 3

  Rosie the Riveter, 139

  Russia. See Soviet Union (USSR)

  S

  sabotage, 111

  safety pilots, 101–102

  Saipan base, 125–126, 128

  scapegoating, 10

  searchlight flying, 99

  September 11, 2001 terror attack, 34

  sexual harassment, 77

  Shaffer, Gene, 103–105, 162, 177

  Sharp, Evelyn, 56, 80

  Silver Star, 44, 149

  silver wings, 79

  Singapore, 49

  size and strength of pilots, 57–58, 69, 116–117, 120

  Slade, Shirley, 136, 146

  Southeast Asia, Japanese land takeover, 33

  Soviet Union (USSR)

  Allied alliance, 22

  stopped Germans in eastern Europe, 81

  women flying squadrons, 26

  WWII death toll, 158

  SPARs, Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, 140

  Spirit of St. Louis (airplane), 5

  Star Wars (movie), 167

  Steele, Kaddy, 98, 164, 166, 175

  stock market crash (1929), 2

  strengthening exercises, 120

  Strohfus, Betty Wall, 174–175

  Strother Field, Kansas, 169

  suffrage movement (1848), 161

  T

  target towing, 97–98, 165

  television, introduction of, 3–4

  test pilots, 103–105

  testing center, 130

  Thaden, Louise, 15

  “The Girls Deliver the Goods” (newspaper article), 143–144

  thrust, 20, 133

  Thunderbirds, 170, 174

  Tibbets, Paul, 126–127, 129, 153

  Time (magazine), 157, 160

  totalitarian governments, 2

  totalitarianism, 2

  Towne, Barbara, 80

  trainer planes

  AT-6, 86

  BT-13, 80, 90–91

  PT-19, 56, 67, 87–88, 93

  T-6, 172

  trans-Atlantic flight, 5, 116–119

  truant officers, 107

  Truman, Harry, 129

  Tunner, William, 51, 106–107, 116, 118

  Tuskegee Airmen, 64

  two-engine planes, 122

  Tyce, Bob, 32

  U

  U-boats, 12, 81, 98

  United States

  Allied alliance, 22

  North Africa victory, 81

  Pearl Harbor attack, 28, 31–34

  WWII death toll, 158

  United States Air Force (USAF)

  Air Force Academy, 166, 173

  Air Force Cross, 44

  Air Force Reserve, 163, 168

  establishment of, 8

  Thunderbirds, 170

  training women on military aircraft, 166

  Women in the Air Force unit, 165

  women pilots, 165

  women’s jobs in, 165

  See also Army Air Corps; Army Air Forces (AAF)

  United States Armed Forces

  acceptance of African Americans and women, 65–66

  expansion of, 37–38

  minority groups, 66

  precision flying teams, 170, 174

  twenty-first century achievements, 149

  women pilots acceptance, 173–174

  United States Army

  Air Corps (See Army Air Corps)

  Air Forces (See Army Air Forces (AAF))

  Army Nurse Corps, 43–44

  Blue Angels, 170

  expansion of, 24, 37–38

  medals and honors, 44, 149, 173, 175

  WFTD (See Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS))

  women pilots, 165

  Women’s Army Corps, 8, 137, 140

  Women’s Land Army, 41

  United States Constitution, Nineteenth Amendment, 161

  United States Navy

  Blue Angels, 170

  medals and honors, 44

  Navy Nurse Corps, 43–44

  WAVES units, 42–43, 137, 140

  women pilots, 165

  upward lift, 20

  USS Shaw, 28

  USSR. See Soviet Union (USSR)

  V

  Veterans Affairs Department, 175–176

  veterans benefits, 159, 164, 166, 167, 171

  victory gardens, 38

  W

  WAC (Women’s Army Corps), 8, 137, 140

  wage difference, 41, 43, 54

  Wake Island attacks, 35, 49

  Walker, Mary Edwards, 44

  Walt Disney Studios, 79

  War Department, 138, 148, 150

  war-related businesses, 42

  washout rate, 76–77

  WASP Military Committee, 167–170, 175

  See also Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

  WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service), 42–43, 137, 140

  West, Nadja, 149

  Westinghouse Electric Company, 3, 139, 162

  White House aviation awards luncheon (1941), 24–25

  Williams, Betty Jane, 69, 79, 99, 160, 163

  Willow Run, Michigan, B-24 bomber production, 40

  women

  altitude record, 15

  awards and honors, 24–25, 44, 149, 173, 175

  in combat, 66

  expected to give up wartime jobs, 162

  flying refueling missions, 173–174

  in military, 141

  military academies admission, 166, 173

  in powerful positions, 149

  in space flight, 174

  USAF’s precision flying team, 174

  in workforce, 41–42, 140–141

  Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES), 42–43, 137, 140

  Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

  accident and fatality rate, 150

  App
ropriations Committee, 150–151

  Arnold’s address to last class, 155

  attitudes after WASP’s demise, 157–160, 163

  Avenger Field training base, 72, 73

  barracks conditions, 74

  as a civilian program, 72, 91, 110

  congressional investigation committee, 149–150

  Congressional Medal of Honor, 173

  discharge papers, 169–170

  end of program, 135, 137–138, 153–154

  ferrying planes (See ferrying planes)

  flyboy’s fake emergencies, 75

  formation of, 72

  gaining respect of male pilots, 113

  government closes records of, 163, 168

  graduation rate, 150

  job variety (See job variety for women pilots)

  lyrics for familiar songs, 77–78

  mascot, 78–79, 127, 174

  men lobbying for WASP pilot jobs, 142, 148–149, 152–153

  militarizing expectations, 72, 137–138

  militarizing request timing, 140–142

  military discipline, 167–168

  morale at Camp Davis, 111–113

  newspaper publication for trainees, 78

  non-traditional women’s work, 138–139

  official recognition of military service, 171

  publicity of women pilots, 142–148

  Ramspeck Report, 149–152

  reputations rules, 75

  reunions, 164

  solo pilot recognition, 77

  training completion, 76

  training requirements, 72

  veterans benefits, 159, 164, 167, 171

  washout rate, 76–77

  See also Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS); Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD)

  Women in the Air Force (WAF), 165

  Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (1948), 173

  Women’s Army Corps (WAC), 8, 137, 140

  Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS)

  approval for women pilots, 51

  background of pilots, 53–54

  as a civilian program, 54–55

  cockpit training, 56–57

  flight uniforms and equipment, 59

  ground courses, 56

  instructors, 56–57

  marching in review with military units, 58–59

  merged into WASP program, 72

  militarizing expectations, 54

  photo of, 80

  pilots pulled for combat, 50

  qualifications, 53–54

  recruits, 51–55

  room inspections, 55–56

  women pilots recruiting effort, 51–53

  Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD)

  approval for, 61

  Army life training, 71–72

  arriving at, 60

  backgrounds of trainees, 63–64

  as a civilian program, 62, 70

  clothing, 70–71

  drill instruction, 69–70

  instructors, 67–68

  merged into WASP program, 72

  move to Avenger Field, 60, 72

  physical training, 68–69

  qualifications, 62, 72

  racial diversity, 65

  testing repaired planes, 69

  training planes, use of, 67

  training program, 62–63, 67

  women pilots recruiting effort, 62

  See also Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

  Women’s Land Army, 41

  women’s movement, 161

  women’s rights and opportunities, 5

  “women’s work,” 138–139

  Wood, Betty Taylor, 111

  workforce changes, 41, 140

  “World of Tomorrow” (N.Y. World’s Fair theme), x, 3–4

  World Trade Center, terror attack, 34

  World War I (Great War)

  ace pilots, 83

  devastation during, 11

  migration changes, 39

  use of airplanes, 4, 7

  women volunteering pilots, 18

  World War II

  Britain’s entrance, 11

  causes, 2

  deadliest war in history, 158

  ground war focus, 141

  Hitler’s responsibility for, 10

  migration changes, 39

  1940 Germany invades European countries, 21

  1942 Pacific front defeats and victories, 49–50

  1943 Europe and North Africa country’s progress, 81

  1943 Pacific front victories, 81

  1944 attack on Japan, 125–126

  1944 war nearing end, 140

  U.S. entrance, 35–37

  Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur)

  Arnold’s flying lessons with, 7

  first airplane (1903), 4

  Orville at Wright Field, 132–133, 153

  Wilbur, death of, 132

  Wright Field, Ohio, 130–132, 153

  Y

  Yount, Martin, 144

  Z

  “zoot suits,” 71

  SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

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  Text copyright © 2018 by Patricia O’Connell Pearson

  Jacket photograph courtesy of the National Archives (photo no. 342-AF-29183AC)

  Interior photographs on pp. x, 5, 8, 10, 20, 22, 161 courtesy of the Library of Congress; photographs on pp. 14, 46, 80, 96, 114 courtesy of the WASP Archive, the TWU Libraries’ Woman’s Collection, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas; photograph on p. 28 courtesy of the National Archives (photo no. 80-G-16871); photographs on pp. 34, 44, 133, 158 copyright © by Thinkstock; photographs on pp. 39, 64 courtesy of the New York Public Library; photograph on p. 41 courtesy of the US National Parks; photograph on pp. 60, 154, 156 courtesy of the United States Air Force; photograph on p. 68 courtesy of the San Diego Air & Space Museum; photograph on p. 129 courtesy of the National Archives (photo no. 243-HP-I-31-2); photograph on p. 136 copyright © by Peter Stackpole/The LIFE Premium Collection/Getty Images; photograph on p. 146 courtesy National Archives (photo no. 208-N-12713); photographs on pp. 149, 165 courtesy of the United States Army; photograph on p. 170 courtesy of US Navy, photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andrea Perez/Released; photograph on p. 172 by Bill Harmon

  Endpaper photograph copyright © by Thinkstock

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  Jacket design by Chloë Foglia | Interior design by Hilary Zarycky

  Jacket photo courtesy of the National Archives (photo no. 342-AF-29183AC)

  Map art by Drew Willis

  The text for this book was set in New Caledonia.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Pearson, P. O’Connell (Patricia O’Connell), author.

  Title: Fly girls : the daring American women pilots who helped win WWII / P. O’Connell Pearson.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. | Audience: Age: 10 and up. | Audience: Grade: 7 to 8.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017011062 | ISBN 9781534404106 (hardcover)

  | ISBN 9781534404120 (eBook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Women Airforce Service Pilots (U.S.)—Juvenile literature. | Women air pilots—United States—Juvenile literature. | Air pilots, Military—United St
ates—Juvenile literature. | World War, 1939–1945—Aerial operations, American—Juvenile literature. | World War, 1939–1945—Participation, Female—Juvenile literature.

  Classification: LCC D790 .P394 2018 | DDC 940.54/497309252—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017011062