Today we are celebrating Nancy Harkness Love (1914 - 1976). Nancy Harkness Love discovered her love of aviation at a young age. By the age of 16 she had taken her first flight and earned her pilots license a month later. Known to be restless she was nicknamed the ‘Flying Freshman’ at school. She went on to earn a commercial license not long after school. To earn extra money she would take students for rides in aircrafts she rented.
She married Robert Love in 1936 and they set up a successful aviation company where she was a pilot. She enjoyed racing but after finishing second a race she no longer pursued a career as an air racer.
When the Second World War broke out she rounded up 49 excellent female pilots who could help ferry places from factories to bases. Her proposal was turn down. Refusing to accept this she took her plan elsewhere and eventually managed to create the Women’s Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS). Love became the Commander.
Eventually WAFS grew and eventually became the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Love became the Executive for all operations and under her command female pilots flew almost every type of military aircraft. At the end of the war both Love and her husband were simultaneously decorated for their contributions to the war. Love was added into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame and National Aviation Hall of Fame, she also has a statue dedicated to her at the New Castle County Airport.
Every day this week we will be looking at a remarkable woman in aerospace, join our community to keep up-to-date.
What women do you think have been pioneers in the aviation and space industries?
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Source: http://waspmuseum.org/nancy-love-biography/