Friday, March 9, 2012

Artifacts

Goggles worn by Amelia Earhart. Crack on the right lens happened
during a minor crash when she was learning to fly.

Amelia Earhart's License

Original charter for the local chapter of the Ninety-Nines, the organization
for female pilots whose first president was Amelia Earhart. On this certificate is
Jacqueline Cochran's signature as a founder of the chapter.

In 1943, thanks to Jacqueline Cochran, the first classes of WASP graduates were awarded wings, ending another controversary of 'should these women pilots be given Army Air Corps Wings?'  The wings worn by the first classes to graduate from the Army Air Corps training program were paid for Jacqueline Cochran, who knew how important winning their wings was to these young women. From 43 W-8 to 44 W-10, two official versions of these wings were used. The difference was in the cut of the feathers, but the main lozenge in the center was the same for both designs.


Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) wings for the first classes were the same as the aviation cadets, with the shield in the middle 'sanded down' and the class number added. They remained the same design  with slight variations from 43 W-1 to 43 W-7.


Women pilots originally flying for the Ferry Command wore these regulation ACT Civillian Pilot Wings.  These WAFS were later incorporated into the WASP.

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