WASP Files: May 1940 - Nancy Harkness Love writes to General Hap Arnold

Sometime during May, 1940, Nancy Harkness Love writes to Colonel Robert Olds. She knows of 49 women, perhaps 15 more, all having accumulated at least 100 hours of flight time, "on a great many ships". She suggests these women could be used by the Army to ferry aircraft.

Olds broaches the subject with General Hap Arnold. Arnold responds that the Army Air Corps has no need for women pilots, but such women could perhaps take the place of commercial pilots who could then take on military dities.

Here's the background behind Nancy Love's suggestion:

28 September, 1938
Brigadier General Henry H. Arnold, nicknamed Hap, attends a conference at the White House to discuss the possibility of war with Nazi Germany.

Arnold points out that Germany has 8,000 combat-planes, of which 6,000 are combat ready. The United States, on the other hand, has fewer than 1,000 bombers and fighter aircraft, and most of these are obsolete.

Arnold suggests that the Army Air Corps must have 7,500 modern combat planes, plus 2,500 training planes, along with the men - pilots and mechanics.

At this point the Army Air Corps has only 1,650 air officers and 16,000 enlisted men.

President Roosevelt agrees with Arnold's assessment and orders the Air Corps be beefed up immediately.

29 September, 1938
Arnold is appointed Chief of the Air Corps. Knowing that the military at that time has the capacity to train only 750 pilots a year, he sets a plan in motion whereby civilian flying schools witll give Air Corps cadets their initial training.

3 September, 1939
Only days less than a year later, Nazi Germany invades Poland. As soon as President Roosevelt hears the news, he names George C. Marshall Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

28 September, 1938
Jacqueline Cochran, the United States' most famous woman pilot at that time, reads the headlines. Cochran is married to millionaire Floyd Oldum, who controls Atlas Corporation and its subsidiary, Consolidated Vultee Aircraft, writes to Eleanor Roosevelt suggesting that women pilots could help the US Army Air Corps by releasing men for combat duty, taking over "ambulance planes, courier planes...and transport planes." She suggests that a force of 650 women be allowed to start pilot training immediately. Although Eleanor Roosevelt is in favor of the idea, President Roosevelt is not yet ready to consider it.

January 1940
England forms the ATA (air transport auxiliary), a civilian group, and eight women are signed on to ferry planes across the country. (The ATA also has male pilots, who are unfit for miilitary service. The male pilots were of course paid more than their female colleagues.)

9 April, 1940
German panzers invade Norway and Denmark. Meanwhile in the United States, aircraft production has been delayed as various factions in Congress argue the program's merits.

16 May, 1940
Congress is told the news that France is expected to surrender to Germany shortly. Congress approves the funding for 11,000 planes.

It is amid this atmosphere that Nancy Love, independent of Jacqueline Cochran, makes her suggesiton to General Arnold, via Robert Olds.

Bibliography
On Final Approach: The WOmen Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, Byrd Howell Granger, Falconer Publishing Company, 1991

Interview with Tami Lewis Brown

Tami Lewis Brown, author of children's picture book (and a very good one at that) Soar Elinor, recounting Elinor Smith's record-breaking flight beneath all of the bridges spanning New York's East River, a feat no one had done before, or has done since, was kind enough to give Winged Victory: Women in Aviation an interview.

Check it out at: http://thethunderchild.com/YouFlyGirl/Interviews/TamiLewisBrown.html.

And note that if you're looking for someone to speak to school groups, scout troops, book clubs or pilot groups, Tami is more than happy to do so. She'll even do it long distance, via Skype!

http://www.tamilewisbrown.com/

German Valentine: Woman pilot

Front of Valentine card, male pilot with bouquet.


Open the door of the plane and girl pilot looks out.

The inscription is "This is not sent to give you the air my Valentine"

When you pull the TAIL of the plane the DOOR FLAP lifts up and reveals a GIRL PILOT inside.. His ARMS also raise a bouquet of flowers up, and his eyes google from side to side...

Read...and listen...to The Lady and the Tiger...Moth at Youtube

The graphic novelette portion of The Lady and the Tiger...Moth is now available at YouTube. Remember you can buy the complete book (the rest of the story is told in prose form) for your Kindle - or Kindle emulator - for only $1.99!!!!!

PR: Avionics announces the MGL Avionics MGL-880 Aviation Headsets

MGL MGL Avionics Headsets Available Now

Features:
High class anthracite look, metal frame - hand adjustable, no tools required.
Very comfortable headband resulting in no pressure points due to light overall weight.
Operates as mono or stereo headset with volume and balance controls and very good audio quality.
Super soft gel ear seals with soft material allows for a good acoustic seal even if you are wearing glasses.
Very high passive noise suppression figures over the full audio band.
Filtered, noise canceling microphone.
Gold plated connectors and high quality, long life cable.
Reversible microphone boom.
The MGL Avionics aviation headset offers exceptional value for money - a quality passive headset at a fantastic price!

Specifications:
Stereo and mono operation
Soft silicone gel filled earcups
Gold plated Headphone and Microphone plugs
Metal swivel gooseneck and metal microphone boom
Extremely light and strong at only 20.5oz / 580g
Excellent passive noise reduction rating of 27dB
Clear frequency response from 20-17,000Hz, distortion free through entire range
Adjustable open foam cushioned headband
Quick response noise canceling filter amplified electret microphone with wind muff

Note: Conforms to FAA TSO C57a and TSO C58a

Volume Control:
The headset features two volume control knobs - one on each earcup. The first knob is used to select between stereo and mono operation, and select the volume level of that earphone (if stereo operation is selected). The other knob is used to control the volume level of the other earphone in stereo mode, and both earphones if mono mode is selected.

This headset is manufactured to MGL Avionics's own specifications by one of the world's largest headset manufacturers.
Perfectly matched for use with the MGL V10, but suitable for use with any intercom or transceiver.

Price: $125 each
More: www.mglavionics.com

I'm in Rapid City, SD wiht 6 inches of snow

Although I lived in MPLS, MN for 20 years, that was 10 years ago. Ive been in Yorktown VA where there was never any snow and temps rarely went below 30 so I"m suffering now.

Visiting relatives in Rapid City, will return to Cheyenne tomorrow, God willing and the snow don't fly.

Photos from WASP Museum First Annual 5K Run Fundraiser

A professional photographer was at the event, took lots of photos, and they can be viewed here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/105905713090261929005/WASP2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNCzyYSf28CXIw&feat=directlink#

A few photos of the participants, and a lot of photos of the museum with closeups of posters and stuff - turned out so much better than my own photos, I know, so you will want to look at these.

the only flaw is that none of the people in any of the photos are identified. I will see what I can do about working up descriptions for some of them and post that here, which you can print and then use as a reference guide should you choose to visit the web album. Of course the very old lady with the white hair is WASP Mary Vanderventer (Mary Putnam while she was a WASP, nicknamed Put Put.

the photos are very nice so you should do so!