Fullerton says she was inspired to create a piece reflecting women in the armed services after she married into the military in 2016 and went to Germany, where she embraced that life. She met many women who were serving and was so inspired she decided to develop a portrait series about women in the military, especially those who came first, such as the WASPs, because so few are aware of what these women did for their country during World War II.

Behind the WASP Story

According to WASP archives, 25,000 applied to be WASP. 1,830 being admitted to the program and of those 1,074 serving with noncombat flying. 

One of the first women to volunteer for the WASP program was Nashville native Cornelia Clark Fort. Fort was working as a civilian flight instructor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, when during a training flight she found herself and her student surrounded by Japanese Zeros during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Fort took the controls of an Interstate Cadet and got them on the ground. They ran for cover, and despite being strafed, survived the attack.

• READ MORE: Veterans History Project Collecting WASPs’ Heroic Stories

Fort returned to the mainland and was one of the first women to join the WASPs in 1942. She was killed on March 21, 1943, while flying in formation en route from Long Beach, California, to Love Field in Dallas. Fort was in the lead when the wing of her BT-13 was struck from behind by the landing gear of the airplane flown by U.S. flight officer Frank Stamme Jr. The impact broke off part of the wing, and Fort’s airplane went into an unrecoverable dive. Stamme was not injured.

In order to do justice to the WASP story, Fullerton sought to learn all she could about the pilots. That could be difficult, as many of the women did not talk about their wartime experiences.This was largely because when the WASPs were disbanded in December 1944, the women were told to “go home and keep your mouth shut.”

Fortunately, some of the WASPs, and now their descendants, are keeping their stories alive. Fullerton relied heavily on the WASP archives at Texas Woman’s University, which she describes as a treasure trove, as she researched Fort’s flying career and those of other WASPs. “They walked with me hand in hand as I was developing the art,” said Fullerton.

Each panel features newspaper headlines embedded into the paintings.

“They are meant to draw the viewer up close so they can read about the WASP,” said Fullerton. “My objective was for more people to recognize who the WASP are and what they went through, and to know about the decades it took for them to earn the right to be recognized. The WASP weren’t recognized as veterans until 1977.”

The “Fly Girls” exhibit will be on display until February.

According to Fullerton, she designed the exhibit to travel so that more can learn about the WASPs. After the exhibit closes in Nashville, the panels will head to Palm Springs Air Museum in California, the U.S. Army Aviation Museum in Alabama, and then return to Nashville for a solo exhibition at the Customs House Museum in October. She added she is booking museums for 2025 as well.

Arts at the Airport

The Arts at the Airport program was established in 1988. The artwork on display covers a wide spectrum of medium, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and blown glass pieces. Airport officials said the works are presented to give the traveling public a taste of Nashville’s thriving arts scene.

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This year, there were none. This was not a surprise, as many of these women, part of what Tom Brokaw dubbed “The Greatest Generation,” are too frail to travel. Before they head West, the Veterans History Project wants to capture their stories.

About VHP

The Veterans History Project (VHP) was established in 2000 by Congressional legislation as a means to tell the stories of veterans. The tales are recorded and archived as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. VHP is reaching out to the remaining WASPs and their families and friends, asking that they share their experiences. 

The WASPs served in noncombat flying roles from August 1943 until they were disbanded in December 1944. They endured the same training the men did and flew the same aircraft, including test flights, target towing, and ferrying airplanes around the country. Yet they were not considered soldiers. When the group was disbanded, members were told to “go home and keep their mouths shut,” which they did, not even telling their families how they had served. They weren’t even recognized as veterans until November 1977 when President Jimmy Carter signed a bill recognizing them for their honorable deeds. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded the WASPs the Congressional Gold Medal. 

Kerry Ward, a liaison specialist with VHP who oversees the collection of the stories— thousands of hours of oral histories, letters, photographs, and diaries from veterans and their families.

“It can be a journey of discovery,” said Ward.

In addition to audio- and video-recorded oral history interviews, VHP accepts unpublished memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries/journals, 2D artwork, and other historical documents from those who served in the U.S. armed services. VHP can also help people find out more about a family member or friend who served.

• READ MORE: WASP to Commemorate 80th Anniversary

“The place to start [is the] loc.gov/vets archival side as well as the participatory side of the project,” said Ward, noting that since 2000, VHP has collected more than 117,000 stories from veterans and Gold Star families, including experiences from World War I to current conflicts.

Many veterans didn’t want to talk about the war after they came home, so their children never knew about their  experiences until after the parent had died and the children were going through belongings and found evidence of their service.

It’s particularly poignant when they find out their mother served. I have seen this firsthand. I was working at King County/Boeing Field (KCIA) in Seattle when a woman came to me with a blue cap and a pair of tarnished silver wings with a diamond in the center. She found them as she was going through a trunk that belonged to her recently deceased mother. I recognized them immediately—her mother had been a WASP, and her family never knew.

The WASPs were not the only women to serve. Ward noted that VHP is also seeking stories about the women known as “Code Girls.” These women were among some 10,000 who served as cryptographers and cryptanalysts or code makers and code breakers during World War II. They were recruited from within various branches of the military and worked in secrecy to break German and Japanese codes. 

“They were recruited if they were good at puzzles,” said Ward. “The work they did was so secret, they had to tell everyone they were secretaries.”

Sometimes the veterans are a little hesitant to share their stories around family members. “For them we have a set of draft questions and they start with those,” Ward said.

For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/vets.

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The P-51C known as Thunderbird is one of these airplanes. Thunderbird made its EAA AirVenture debut this year, following a 24-year restoration. 

Warren Pietsch took ownership of it in 1999 when it was, in his words, “a pile of parts.” Pietsch thought he had purchased a damaged P-51A, but examination of the parts and some research revealed he was in possession of a P-51C that belonged to and had been flown by actor-turned-World-War-II-bomber-pilot Jimmy Stewart. In 1949, Thunderbird came in first at the Bendix Trophy transcontinental race and set several speed records. 

At one point, it was owned by Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran, the founder of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots and the first woman to break the sound barrier. Cochran flew it on several record-setting flights then sold the airplane back to Stewart.

Pietsch, who comes from a family of aviators and mechanics, spent more than a decade gathering parts for the restoration. But he didn’t have the time to finish the project, so he turned it over to AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. AirCorps Aviation is known in the warbird community for award-winning restorations. Thunderbird was returned to airworthy status, making its first flight in more than 50 years just weeks before AirVenture at the end of July in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The airplane now belongs to the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot, North Dakota.

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On Saturday, the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston will be commemorating the event with a hangar talk on the history of the WASP at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. CDT and display of WASP artifacts and uniforms from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The WASP trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, some 350 miles northwest of Houston.

How the WASP Came To Be

World War II was raging and America had a shortage of military pilots. Famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran noted that there were a number of very experienced women pilots in the United States and suggested that if the women could take over the noncombat flying, such as target towing, flight instruction, and aircraft ferrying, more men could be deployed for defense. Cochran had the support of U.S. Army General Henry “Hap” Arnold.

Another pilot, Nancy Harkness Love, had a similar idea, and with the support of Colonel William H. Tunner of the U.S. Air Force, created the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. The two groups were eventually merged.

To be accepted into the program, the women had to already possess a pilot certificate with a certain number of flight hours. Some 25,000 women applied for the WASP program, with 1,830 being accepted and 1,047 graduating. Because they were considered civilians and not military—despite the fact they wore uniforms and flew military airplanes—-they were denied military benefits such as assistance for burial if they were killed in the line of duty. According to WASP records, 38 died in training or during missions. If there was a body, the other WASP took up a collection to send it home. The families of the fallen WASP were not allowed to display a gold star—the symbol of a family member lost in the line of service.

When the tide of the war turned in 1944, the WASP program was disbanded. The WASP had flown more than 300,000 flight hours and piloted virtually everything in America’s arsenal. Yet they were not recognized as veterans until 1977 when President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation to grant the WASPs veteran status. This gave them access to the same medical care and educational benefits and financial opportunities provided to male veterans.

In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded the WASP the Congressional Gold Medal during a special ceremony in Washington, D.C.

 There are very few WASP left today, but their legacy is carried forth by following generations of women pilots who wear the Fifinella patch—the shapely gremlin mascot on their flight suits and jackets.

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The event is billed as Journey to the Stars and is intended to honor the WASP  and to recognize the women who followed them into military flying and celebrate 30 years of women flying in service to their country.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend. Some are relatives of WASP. Others were inspired to fly by the WASP. There are usually quite a few women military aviators in attendance. 

A plethora of World War II era military aircraft are expected to be on display.

This year the Masters of Ceremony will be John Marsh and Kathleen Fowler—children of WASP Marie Barrett Marsh.

The weekend is filled with storytelling to remember the WASP. Participants are encouraged to “bring your favorite WASP story to share with your table during brunch or while mingling. Be sure to bring or email a copy for our Archive. The Museum wants to tell the most complete stories of your WASP.”

The WASP who have gone West will also be remembered. This year the ashes of Jean Jeep Downy Harman, class of 44-W-9 will be scattered, and the life of WASP Susie Winston Bain, 44-W-9, will be honored at the museum plaza.

• READ MORE: Abingdon Co. Launches Watch Series Honoring Female Aviators

There is also a hangar dance scheduled, the proceeds of which will benefit the museum. Period correct attire is encouraged.

About the Town

Sweetwater, Texas, is 223 miles west of Dallas. The town of Sweetwater was established as a railroad town in the 1880s, and later during WWII, Avenger Field air base was established there. 

At first, it trained British Royal Air Force pilots, then was converted to train Women Airforce Service Pilots. The area then, as now, was very rural. According to WASP Florence G. “Shutsy” Reynolds Class 44-W-5, when the WASP went into town, they were mistaken for a women’s baseball team because of their matching coveralls and ball caps. No one knew that women were being trained for the war effort at the air base.

• READ MORE: When Walt Disney Was a War Hero

Walt Disney was an admirer of the WASP. He created the iconic Fifinella image. Fifi, as she is known, is a female gremlin who is said to protect women aviators in flight by distracting the male gremlins who create mechanical issues with airplanes.

About the WASP

The Women Airforce Service Pilots were established in 1943. The organization was the creation of two women, Nancy Harkness Love, who, even before the United States entered WWII, pushed the idea of properly trained women delivering military. And after the war began, Jacqueline Cochran, who saw the value of having women fly in non-combatant roles to free the male pilots up for the all-important fighting. 

• READ MORE: Restoring a Beech Super 18 to Former Glory

Cochran was able to persuade Army Air Force General Henry Hap Arnold to activate the Women’s Flying Training Detachment in 1942, and in 1943 the two groups merged as the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots were merged in 1943, with Cochran taking the role of director. The women had to be between the ages of 21 and 35 and hold a Commercial Pilot certificate. More than 25,000 applied to be WASP, and 1,102 made it to graduation. 

The WASP did multiple flying jobs including target towing for live-fire exercises, aircraft delivery, test flying aircraft after maintenance, and even persuading male pilots that certain models—such as the B-29 Superfortress—could be flown. 

When the men were reluctant to get into these aircraft, the WASP showed them how it was done. The WASP were regarded as civilian contractors during the war, so when a WASP was killed in the line of duty—and 38 were—there were no military burial benefits to ship the body home, and the family was not permitted to put a gold star in their window signifying a family member had died in service to their country.

The WASP would not gain military status until 1977 under President Carter. In 2009 they would receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

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It can be a challenge to find a watch designed for female aviators specifically. Aviation watches can be large for female wrists and aesthetically unappealing for women’s sensibilities. Abingdon Co. was founded by Abingdon Mullin to help fill this market niche for timepieces. 

The company has launched a new watch series, Legends, created to pay homage to women aviators who have broken barriers throughout history. To kick off the series, Abingdon Co. has created a small batch of commemorative watches in collaboration with the National WASP WWII Museum to honor the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), who flew military planes to transport and test them, trained male pilots, and towed targets for live ammunition practice. 

According to the company’s release, only 1,102 watches will be created, in honor of the 1,102 WASP who served during WWII, as a tribute to those aviators. The limited-edition watches come in two color options, silver and two-tone, include a brown leather band, and start at $775.

The watch face features the official WASP wings insignia, and the words “WASP – Women Airforce Service Pilots” are engraved on the back. The number 38 is placed on the dial in memory of the 38 WASP who died in service. The watch has four hands, can track three time zones, and has a date function. 

Mullin, a pilot and founder and CEO of Abingdon Co. said in the release, “This watch is more than just a symbol of gratitude and respect. It is a reminder of the importance of breaking down barriers and fighting for what is right. The WASP were pioneers in their field, and they paved the way for generations of women to pursue careers in aviation and other male-dominated industries.”

In addition to selling the limited-edition watches, Abingdon Co. will gift 14 watches to the remaining 14 WASP who live across the U.S. The brand says it will also expand the WASP collection to include a gun metal watch, offered in a special collectors box in August.

Lisa Taylor, executive director of the National WASP WWII Museum, said, “What an honor for the WASP to be first in Abingdon’s Legends Collection. First-class pilots memorialized on a world-class watch. This timeless piece will bring joy as it keeps my heroes and mentors, the WASP, ever on my mind. I’ve always wanted an Abingdon, and today is the day.”

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The NAHF, founded in 1962, is the only Congressionally chartered aviation hall of fame in the United States. Each year, the NAHF Board of Nominations, a body of more than 130 aviation professionals nationwide, select class members from the world of aviation and aerospace. The selectees are drawn from air and space pioneers, both living and posthumously. Thus far 254 people have been honored.

The Class of 2023 is composed of both living and posthumous inductees.

(The late) Velta Benn

Benn is an aviation pioneer who began as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), class 44-W-7, and went on to fly for more than 63 years, amassing 55,000 flying hours as a CFI, FAA examiner, and safety expert. In 1983 she was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. Benn flew West in December 2010 at the age of 93.

(The late) Cornelius Coffey

Coffey is an aviation pioneer who, despite many racial barriers, became a pilot and mechanic. He opened a flight school that trained more than 1,500 students, including hundreds of Tuskegee Airmen. In the 1930s, Coffey was an automobile mechanic who dreamed of becoming a pilot. In 1931 he brought together a group of black air enthusiasts to study at the Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical School. Segregation at the time excluded them from local airports, so local aviators of color built their own facility in Robbins, Illinois, and the Coffery School of Aeronautics was born. Coffey’s school was one those selected in World Was II for the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP).

(The late) Ed Stimpson

Stimpson was a founding member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), an organization he led for many years. He was also the U.S. representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF).

In 1994, when the general aviation industry was floundering because of lawsuits targeting aircraft manufacturers, Stimpson helped champion the General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA), which was credited with helping revive the industry by limiting manufacturers’ product liability to 18 years.

Angela Gittens

Gittens is known for her work with Airport Council International (ACI) World. Gittens has been the Director General of ACI World since 2008. She was formerly airport CEO for Miami and Atlanta and Deputy at San Francisco International Airport, where she helped shape airport security and policy.

Fred Haise

Haise joined the aviation world in 1952 as a naval aviation cadet. He served as a U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot from 1954-1956 and later became a test pilot for NASA. Haise was selected for the manned space program in 1966. In 1970, Haise was the Lunar Module Pilot for the Apollo 13 mission in which the intended moon landing was canceled because of a rupture in a fuel-cell oxygen tank. Haise was also part of the space shuttle program then went on to an executive position with the Northrop Grumman Corporation. Haise is also an author; his book, Never Panic Early, an Apollo 13 Astronauts Journey, was released in hardcover in April of this year.

Elon Musk

Musk is an entrepreneur and leader in the commercial aerospace. Musk is the founder of SpaceX, the first private company to put crewed spacecraft into orbit and dock with the International Space Station. Musk is known as a major influencer in the technology and aerospace industry.

NAHF Board of Nominations Chair Tom Lodge revealed the Class of 2023 at the 2022 Enshrinement Dinner and Ceremony in Dayton, Ohio.

“We believe that this is an excellent class and we are already looking forward to their induction in Washington, D.C.,” Lodge said. “From pioneers Benn and Coffey to visionaries Gittens, Stimpson, and Musk, and to aerospace hero Haise, the NAHF’s Class of 2023 represents the best in aviation. We applaud the Board of Nominations for their challenging and thorough work.”

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Once it is airworthy—volunteers project a first flight by July 2023, in time for EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh—the classic business air transport will be used to promote the history of women in aviation as a flying exhibit for the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

According to Bill Goebel, the museum’s volunteer crew chief for the restoration project, the Beech Super 18, N13JC, was the last airplane Cochran flew. “She was in her mid-60s at the time when she owned the airplane [1969-1971], and stopped flying it because she was unable to renew her FAA medical certificate due to illness. Aircraft logbooks indicate her last flight was on April 4, 1971,” he says.  

However, Cochran’s ownership of the radial-powered twin is only part of its storied past. 

After losing her certificate, Cochran sold the 1954 E18S-9700 model to Anthony Productions—the copyright holder for The Merv Griffin Show and Dance Fever.

“Merv actually flew the hell out of it,” Goebel says. “He basically used it instead of driving the [Hwy.] 405.” 

Thanks to the detailed logbooks of Griffin’s corporate pilot, the names of the rich and famous, who traveled with him around the Los Angeles area and on junkets to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, were fastidiously documented. According to the flight logs, the list of celebrity passengers included: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Leslie Uggams, Gene Hackman, Wayne Rogers, Dinah Shore, Arthur Murray, Dick Carson, Jan Michael Vincent, Marty Allen, Pamela Mason, Doug McClure, and others.

“[And] Dar Robinson, a big stuntman from the era, jumped out of it over Caesars Palace in Vegas,” Goebel says.

It is this history of transporting Hollywood actors and actresses that inspired the twin Beech’s new moniker: the Hollywood Bomber.

“While Jackie is part of the story, she is not the whole story,” says Goebel, an FAA-certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic with inspection authorization (IA), and an FAA-designated engineering representative—vintage (VDER).

“[The Beech Super 18] is an absolute reflection of corporate aviation in the ’60s and ’70s. It’s really neat, the connection with Hollywood….A lot of famous people flew in this thing—and that’s what you did in the ’60s and ’70s and these were the kinds of corporate aircraft [used], and that’s the story and it’s a great story to tell.”

To note: Goebel acknowledges the Beech Super 18 is not and was never a “bomber,” but he thought it was a catchy misnomer for the project, and the Vintage Flying Museum (VFM) agreed.

Bringing the Aircraft Back to Life

The Beech Super 18 came to the museum in 2019 after serving as a maintenance trainer for Tarrant County College. The aircraft sat outside for most of its 30-year lifetime at the college, exposed to often-harsh North Texas weather conditions.

After learning that Cochran owned and flew it, the college then started “restoring” it, says Goebel, who served on and chaired the aviation advisory committee at the college for several years. “They started basically disassembling it; unfortunately, they didn’t get a lot put back together.”  

“It’s one of the larger projects we’ve taken on,” admits Bill Gorin, A&P, IA, and the volunteer director of operations at VFM. “You’re taking an airplane that’s been asleep for 40 years, basically, and trying to wake it up and get it flying again.”

Because of its extended time outside in the elements, every steel screw was rusted and is being replaced, he says. “We’re having to change a lot of nuts and a lot of screws.” The airplane’s belly skin was also replaced, owing to corrosion that was likely caused by an onboard potty.

While the Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines are mid time, they remain a question mark for the project. “We’ve inspected the engines, but there’s still a lot of unknowns with them,” Gorin says. 

According to Goebel, the plan is to track the engines’ performance with oil analysis and monitoring, eventually overhauling both engines using a rotable in order to keep the aircraft available.

Of course, if a large-enough donation comes in, Gorin says they will overhaul the engines much sooner. “It’s about $50K per engine, plus the cost of the accessory overhauls. We would love to find someone to donate that, as well as upgrading the old generators to modern Jasco alternators.”

The museum has established a GoFundMe account for monetary donations. The current fundraising goal is listed at $103,000.

Before it goes airborne, the Hollywood Bomber will have new, updated avionics and be completely rewired. Some upgrades are also planned, including adding external oil filters on the engines. “There’s a pre-oil system out there that’s available for it, to pre-oil the engines before you start them, so that way you’re not starting the engines on dry bearings,” Gorin says.

A new paint job and restoring the interior, including new upholstery, will likely be the final touches for the project—most likely after it’s airworthy.

“The biggest challenge is just trying to get all the parts,” Gorin says. “If people want to donate money, or parts, or services, we’re a nonprofit, it’s all a tax write-off for anybody who’s interested.”

The project has already received several donations. These include: an S-Tec autopilot from Genesys; fabrics for the interior from Duncan Aviation; clocks from Davtron; fuel cells and installation from Southwest Airframe and Tank Services; and a spar X-ray from Apex Inspections.

Volunteer Labor Fuels the Project

Goebel, who is documenting the restoration project on his YouTube channel, HangaRatz, says without the support of volunteers, the restoration project would be at a standstill. “Everything is pro bono as far as labor goes. It’s all just community helping this aircraft get back [in the air],” he says.

Some of the volunteers have never worked on an airplane before, and Goebel says that’s OK. As the A&P of record, he is teaching and coaching the volunteers through the entire process.

For example, “The instrument panel was hand-crafted by volunteers who have never built one. No computers. No CAD. No high-speed routers. Drills, punches, and files. And it’s a gold-plated example of their capabilities and efforts,” Goebel says.

One of those volunteers is Abigail Kennedy-Dominguez. The high school senior started helping with the project before the COVID-19 pandemic slowed its progress. Early-on, she says she learned some of the basic skills and techniques to help maintain the airplane. Now that she’s older, she’s been able to participate in more hands-on activities, including helping to cut and file the new instrument panel, sealing and patching holes in the fuel bay, fitting patches for antenna holes in the belly, and taking apart old seats so they can be reupholstered.

“I believe that it’s important to maintain a woman’s touch on this plane,” Kennedy-Dominguez says. “Jackie Cochran created a legacy for all women in aviation by introducing the idea that women were just as capable as men when it comes to flying (and all things). I think it would be disrespectful for us to ignore that legacy by restoring the plane with a group solely made of men. A woman made that plane glorious, and women should be involved in returning it to glory again.”

Katrina Lorenzen and her husband, Joey, are also helping with the project. When they’re not working on the Hollywood Bomber, they’re building a Van’s Aircraft RV-7A at their home. From transcribing the Beech Super 18’s logbooks to drilling out old rivets, removing the mounting stations and helping final fit and rivet filler plates to patch the old holes, she’s integrally involved with the project.

“This plane has a rich history and the more stories we uncover, the more driven and connected we feel to the project. We are all committed to getting her in the air and off to share with everyone we can,” Lorenzen says.

A Female-Centric Vision

Lorenzen and Kennedy Dominguez’s contributions to the Hollywood Bomber project align well with the museum’s vision of using the flying exhibit to celebrate women in aviation, past, present, and future.

“It’s all about showcasing aviation opportunities for women,” Goebel says.

Gorin agrees. “Ideally, what we’d love to see is that airplane flown and maintained by women. I would love to see it go to shows with a couple of women flying it and women maintaining it. That would be better for the next generation than the current generation.”

Believed to be one of only a few women in the U.S. to found and direct a flying museum, Charlyn “Chuckie” Hospers, couldn’t agree more with the vision for the Beech Super 18, and she’s already creating educational curricula and displays to accompany it. For example, a traveling exhibit of display boards the museum designed and built—available through the Texas Trail Lakes Region—salutes women’s contributions to aviation and World War II. “Two of the panels are on Jackie Cochran, and we have panels with Rosie the Riveter…and we have Wally Funk [and others],” she says.

Forming a Flying Museum

Hospers and her husband, William “Doc” Hospers, purchased the museum’s 9-acre site and two hangars—one a B-29 World War II-era hangar—located at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW) in Texas in 1988. “We actually started with a B-17 Flying Fortress that we had for 31 years,” she says. The couple were co-founders of the B-17 Co-op, which to this day supports owners of the famed World War II bombers.

Hospers recalls her first introduction to the B-17 that would ultimately become the museum’s first aircraft. “It turned out when my husband came home with the B-17 Flying Fortress, he didn’t tell me at first,” she says. “He flew it in and had me meet everybody out at the airport. And he took me by my hand and led me underneath the wing of the aircraft, and he said, ‘What do you think of this?’ And I said, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘It’s ours.’ That’s how it started. He had taken a big stick and painted my name on the side of the nose of the B-17. He knew what he was doing.”

Hospers says she got on the “bandwagon,” learned to fly, got her taildragger endorsement and her multiengine rating. “We had it [the B-17] for 31 years, and we flew it to airshows and it was all volunteers that maintained it and kept it flying,” she says. Following Doc’s death in 2010, she sold the B-17 named Chuckie. Today, the vintage bomber is owned and operated by the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.

A former FAA runway safety expert, Hospers says “it’s amazing” how far the museum has come since it was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1990. Today, several other aviation-related nonprofits call the museum home, including the CAF Invader Squadron, PGM Aviation, Greatest Generation Aircraft, and the Fort Worth chapter of the American Rosie The Riveter Association.

“We have almost 30 aircraft on display now [about 50 percent airworthy], and some very rare and valuable,” Hospers says.

The famed flying B-29 Superfortress FIFI and B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil called VFM home for seven years before moving in 2021 to the Commemorative Air Force’s new headquarters at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD). And, the space they left has already been filled. “We actually have a waiting list for aircraft,” Hospers says.

Hospers, Gorin, and Goebel and their team of volunteers are working diligently to get the Hollywood Bomber back in the air. Gorin, who is a pilot, says one day he’d like to fly right seat in the aircraft—after he gets a couple more ratings. “[But] I’d rather stand back and watch the ladies fly it, that would be more rewarding to me.”

Specifications: Beechcraft Super 18 E18S-9700

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You can see it for yourself at the Museum of Flight (MOF) in Seattle in the new exhibit The Walt Disney Studios and World War II. The exhibit is made possible through a partnership with the MOF and The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. 

Housed in the Red Barn, the exhibit walks visitors through time, telling the story of Walt Disney Studios and its extensive contributions to the Allies’ war effort.

The exhibit includes 550 examples of rare historical objects and film clips. Exhibit curator Kent Ramsey—a self-described aviation and Disney enthusiast—describes the exhibit as a labor of love, one that he has a very personal connection with because his uncle, Captain John G. Austin, was part of an aviation reconnaissance group during World War II.

“Disney’s insignia design team created two clever insignias for my uncle’s photo reconnaissance group,” Ramsey explains. “Unfortunately, my uncle was shot down and killed one month before the war ended in Europe, and for me, the exhibition serves as a salute to his supreme sacrifice.”

How Disney Supported the War Effort

The war in Europe began in September 1939. Although the U.d S. did not officially enter World War II until 1941, the Disney company was already feeling the impact of the conflict as early as 1940. That year, the studio released Fantasia and Pinocchio, two full-length features. Both movies proved to be financial flops. 

Walt Disney, like so many other Americans, was at home on Sunday morning, December 7, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the U.S. into the conflict. Within hours of the attack, an anti-aircraft gun was placed in the parking lot of the Disney Studio in Southern California to protect the Lockheed aircraft factory next door. 

Disney, born in 1901, was too old to be drafted. He was, however, eager to serve his country. During World War I, he dropped out of school at the age of 16 and tried to enlist, but he was rejected for being too young. He was able to find work as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross and would spend a year in France, but by the time he arrived there, the war had ended. 

When World War II began, Disney pledged the studio would focus 90 percent of its wartime output to the war effort and this work would be done not for profit.

Cartoons with a Message

As most people associate Disney with fun and games, the cartoons with a message shown in the MOF exhibit are very much an eye-opener. The Disney Studios produced cartoon films that taught technical skills such as welding and riveting, vital skills for the ship-building and aircraft-manufacturing industries. With a cartoon, images could be rotated for a three-dimensional X-ray view. For the armed forces, Disney produced training films on everything from how to navigate a ship, basic aerodynamics, and the dangers of airframe icing. 

For the home front, Disney produced comic strips and cartoons to explain what was happening in Europe, and lots of propaganda and morale posters, covering everything from nutrition (the importance of eating a balanced diet so you would have stamina to do your war work) to the civic duty of paying your taxes.

Disney also used cartoons to foster good relations with South America, which was ostensibly neutral during the war. A whole slew of geographically appropriate anamorphic animal characters were also created.

Cartoon Characters Become Unit Mascots

Disney’s anamorphic animal characters went from entertaining to inspirational, as they became insignia patches for various military units. The patches were created on request. Disney had a special squad who would field the letters sent from various military outfits asking for a custom patch. A pencil drawing would be created, often using existing Disney characters, then colors would be added to create the insignia. The finished work was sent back to the unit, and kept as a template. The most skilled artist in the outfit would then paint the design on aircraft, buildings, jackets, water towers—you name it.

The Disney insignia squad turned out more than 1,300 unit patches—and a great many of them have been recreated and are on display as part of the exhibit. 

Disney did a lot of art for aviation—as noted in a 1940s issue of FLYING, which is a part of the exhibit as it carries a story about the unit insignia that graced airplanes as nose art. There is also a model of the B-17 Wabash Cannonball sporting an image of Disney’s Goofy character.

One of the most famous designs in the exhibit is Fifinella, the shapely she-gremlin in aviation gear that is the mascot of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Fifi, as she is known to her friends, was created at the request of WASP founder Jacqueline Cochran. At the time, Disney was exploring the idea of turning Gremlins, a children’s book by Royal Air Force pilot-turned author Roald Dahl, into a movie. Gremlins were mythical creatures blamed for aircraft mishaps. Fifi was created from one of the gremlin sketches. A superstition held that when a WASP flew with Fifi on her wings, she was protected.

Although today Mickey Mouse is the most popular Disney character, Donald Duck was the most-often used character in World War II insignia. He appeared in no fewer than 146 designs. The Duck, who even in peace time was usually depicted wearing a sailor’s blouse and cap, was a natural for the armed forces because of his reputation for patriotism—not to mention his willingness to fight. He also starred in a number of morale and training films, such as Commando Duck.

Disney Loses Animators to the War

The war cost Disney some animators. Most of its artists were men who were either drafted or enlisted. In addition, those of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated to internment camps by Executive Order 9066, which removed the Japanese from the West Coast. 

The exhibit notes that there were few women in the animation department when the war began, and like they did in so many other industries, women were called upon to fill these non-combatant jobs. At the end of the war, Disney offered the now-skilled women animators and artists the option to stay.

The exhibit opens at the MOF on July 9 and will remain until February.

The post When Walt Disney Was a War Hero appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While they weren’t recognized as military veterans until 1977, women pilots have long held the WASP as heroes, mentors, and friends. Since most have now flown west—passed away, in aviation parlance—those pilots honor their kindred spirits by attending to the graves of the WASP no longer with us on Memorial Day.

From a WAI statement, the mission is made clear: to visit the graves and leave flowers or other “appropriate remembrances.” 

Now in its fifth year, the #HonorTheWASP program has adjusted slightly to suit the times. It was originally envisioned to take place over the Memorial Day weekend each year, but large groups went in advance of the holiday weekend to help people avoid crowds if they could.

Several WAI members tweeted with their tributes to the WASP.

#HonorTheWASP Paying tribute to Mary Belle Ahlstrom Smith, 43-3, at Austin Memorial Park. She was an instrument instructor, ferry pilot, test pilot, and transport pilot as well! pic.twitter.com/YG2KPHyrkS

— Valerie Scott (@B25flygirl) May 28, 2022

Honor the WASP – Gammy edition

Thank you @WomenInAviation & local Capital region chapter members for coming to Arlington National Cemetery today to #HonorTheWASP and to all across the nation who visited WASP WWII gravesites during May#waspwwii #wwii pic.twitter.com/keutgvS3cK

— Erin_Miller (@millerlawmd) May 28, 2022

The post The #HonortheWASP Project Decorates Memorials Across the U.S. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.