OCTOBER 7 Plan developed proposing first WFTD class begin on Nov 15 at Houston Municipal
Airport near Houston, Tx. School to be run by civilian contractor, overseen by Army Air Force
personnel.
OCTOBER 21 7 WAFS (of original volunteers) complete flight transition on trainers.
OCTOBER 22 6 WAFS get orders to report to ferry Piper Cubs.
OCTOBER 31 10 WAFS (Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Service) now enrolled.
NOVEMBER 6 Memo from Gen. Arnold to Chief of Staff, AAF, "not military planes but civilian aircraft
must be used at outset of women's pilot training program".
NOVEMBER 9 WFTD graduates will be absorbed into Ferrying Command in WAFS.
NOVEMBER 11 Severe shortage of pilots. Ferrying Command now accepting physically unfit and
overage men as ferry pilots. Civilian 'junk' planes arrive in Houston for women trainees (13 available).
NOVEMBER 15 Aviation Enterprises will be in charge of training women pilots. Military will supervise.
First women ever to be flight trained under Army Air Force begin arriving in Houston. Housing found
primarily at tourist courts.
NOVEMBER 16 28 women pilots report for training at the Houston Municipal Airport. Designated:
319th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment. Women trainees take official military 'Oath'
Flying gear: men's flying suits. Smallest size: 44 long, called 'zoot suits’. At New Castle, WAFS
deliver first airplanes.
DECEMBER 9 U.S. Army reorganized into three autonomous forces: Army Air Forces, Ground Forces
and Services/Supply
DECEMBER 19 2nd class arrive in Houston. Trainees now flying 22 different kind of civilian aircraft.
(One by one old crates being grounded.) PT-19s and BT-13s begin to arrive.
DECEMBER 23 Nancy Love reports on AAF ferrying fields: Love, Romulus & Long Beach. Flying
Training Command receives notice: The lst class in Houston will graduate in Feb. (New Castle can't
take all of them.)
DECEMBER 25 WAFS now total 27. Orders from Col Tunner: "Enroll no more WAFS."
DECEMBER 28 At the end of 1942, there are 24 WAFS ferrying Cubs and a few ferrying PT-19.
1943
6
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14