Women with Wings: Women Pilots of World War II

Women with Wings: Women Pilots of World War II — page 3
However the second test flight on February 18 1943 ended in disaster Fuel leaked inside a wing and then caught on fire The blaze spread to the engines The plane lost power crashed into a nearby factory and THE US AIR FORCE burst into flames All 11 In the early days of flight air power was part of the crew members including US Army A pilot's main job was to support troops Boeing's chief test pilot on the ground As planes were killed Twenty improved air power became an important part of war factory workers and a local Planes could be used for firefighter also died missions such as surveillance or bombing When the United As a result of the States entered World War II the army's air units became crash many air force the Army Air Forces AAF pilots refused to fly the The AAF officially became the US Air Force in 1947 B 29 As far as they were A year later women were concerned the aircraft was allowed to join the air force They could only perform a death trap with unreliable ground duties however such as operating radar reporting engines habitual fires weather conditions or nursing and inadequate testing patients The military changed its policies in 1976 and from Dougherty and Johnson then on women could join the US Air Force as pilots They could two female aviators who not fly in combat however were Women Airforce until 1993 Today more than 62 000 women serve in the Service Pilots WASPs US Air Force They are pilots had a different opinion navigators and mechanics They jumped at the chance