Text of article
A
viation
Attraction Celebrates Courageous WASPs - Women
Airforce Service Pilots - March 27 and 28 in Honor
of Women's History Month
POLK CITY, Fla. Fantasy of Flight is proud to
announce the second event in its three-part "Living
History" Symposium Series, "A Passionate Pursuit,"
featuring the WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots
- a spirited squadron of pilots who left their
homes and jobs at the height of World War II to
serve their country as the first American women to
fly for the U.S. Military.
Part two of the Living History Symposium Series
will take place Friday, March 27 and Saturday,
March 28, in honor of Women's History Month, and
will bring to life the experiences of some of
America's most courageous aviators through
permanent and semi-permanent exhibits, real
aircraft, and most importantly, personal stories
from real WASP pilots who will be answering
questions and interacting with guests.
History
When every available American male pilot was
absorbed into combat overseas, dangerous non-combat
flight duty still required pilots stateside for
ferrying, testing, dragging targets and liaison -
tasks hardly suited for the inexperienced or the
faint of heart. Once again the "greatest
generation" stepped forward to meet the challenge -
only this time the boots were filled by women.
Fantasy of Flight's WASP exhibition, which
includes aircraft as well as four separate bays
that feature historical, anecdotal, and
inspirational newsreel footage, original photos,
and storytelling panels from the 1940s and today,
will serve as the backdrop for historic appearances
from real WASP pilots, Betty Blake, Helen Wyatt
Snapp and Bernice "Bee" Falk Haydu.
On Dec. 7, 1941, 21-year-old pilot Betty
Blake was scheduled to fly a tourist from one
Hawaiian island to another. Lucky for her, the
tourist cancelled the reservation and Blake was not
in the skies when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
Although she wasn't hurt, several of her Navy
friends were killed and the event changed her life
forever. She soon enrolled in the WASP program and
flew planes from factories to bases on the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts where they would be deployed for
combat. Blake recalled, "They didn't think girls
would be able to fly military planes," but
together, the fearless female pilots logged nearly
60 million miles before the program was disbanded
in Dec. 1944.
Helen Wyatt Snapp was working as a
government clerk in Washington, D.C. when she
decided to take advantage of Franklin D.
Roosevelt's new Civilian Pilot Training Program and
quickly earned her private pilot's license. While
her husband, Ira Benton Snapp, was serving
overseas, Helen heard about the WASP program and
wanted to do her part. She was accepted into the
program in Jan. 1943 and served at Liberty Field in
Camp Stewart, Ga. until WASP was de-activated. By
that time, Snapp had completed more than 1,000
hours of flying time and flew numerous target
missions, towing targets for live fire on
anti-aircraft ranges.
Bernice "Bee" Falk Haydu was an
engineering test pilot and utility pilot for WASP
for only one year before the program was disbanded,
but she later served as President of the Order of
Fifinella, the WASP alumnae organization, and was
instrumental in the fight to obtain WWII Veterans'
status for members of the group. The battle for
Veterans' benefits took two years, a national media
tour and "much midnight oil being burned," but the
bill was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter
in Nov. 1977. An active pilot, flight instructor
and aviation business owner, Haydu also was
instrumental in starting a new group, Women
Military Pilots, which was later changed to Women
Military Aviators to incorporate women other than
pilots. Her WASP uniform can be seen on display at
the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in
Washington, D.C. and she wrote a book detailing her
WASP experience, entitled Letters Home 1944-1945.
For all of her contributions to her country and to
the field of aviation, Haydu was inducted into the
Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000.
"It's hard to believe that almost 70 years ago,
these gutsy ladies stepped into the cockpits of
fighter planes to serve their country in its time
of need, and have been breaking barriers for women
ever since," said Fantasy of Flight founder and
creator Kermit Weeks. "It is my extreme privilege
to welcome them to Fantasy of Flight to share their
amazing stories first hand."
In the end, only 1,830 of the 25,000 applicants
were accepted into the program, and 1,074 of those
women earned their silver WASP wings. Their
indomitable founder, Jackie Cochran, became
the first civilian to receive the U.S. Army
Distinguished Service Medal for her vision and
leadership of the WASP program.
The third and final event in the "Living
History" series will take place June 20 with a
Military Collectors Show and re-enactment in which
several aviation heroes will speak. Cost of each
"Living History" symposium is included with Fantasy
of Flight admission, which is $28.95 for adults,
$14.95 for children ages 6-15, plus 7 percent sales
tax. Children 5 and younger are free. Discounts are
available for groups of 15 or more.
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-themed
attraction showcasing vintage aircraft from the
world's largest private collection; themed
immersion experiences; flight simulators;
interactive exhibits; a tram tour of aircraft
maintenance areas; Restoration and Backlot tours;
and an Aerial Demonstration of the Day. Hours are
10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, and general admission is
$28.95. Audio tours, hot air balloon rides, and
biplane rides are available at extra charge. The
Art Deco-styled Compass Rose Diner serves lunch
daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Recent additions to Fantasy of Flight
attractions include the Fun with Flight Center for
families; The Tuskegee Airmen - They Dared to Fly
exhibit; and the multimedia tribute to the WASP
(Women Airforce Service Pilots) - A Passionate
Pursuit. For more information about Fantasy of
Flight, call 1.863.984.3500 or visit
www.fantasyofflight.com.
