Betty Gillies, WWII American Aviatrix

Betty Gillies (January 7, 1908 - October 14, 1998) was an American aviatrix. In 1942, Gillies was the first pilot to qualify for the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. At this time, she had amassed 14 years of flying experience, running up a total of 1, 400 flying hours to her credit and held various aeronautical ratings. When Nancy Love started a new WAFS ferrying unit, Gillies was made squadron leader of the 2nd Ferrying Group, New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware. In 1943, Gillies became the first woman to fly the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization. On August 15, 1943, Love and Gillies qualified as first pilots (aircraft commanders) on Boeing B-17s and made three deliveries together during the balance of the month. Gillies remained squadron leader of the Women Airforce Service Pilots assigned to the 2nd Ferrying Group at New Castle Army Air Base until the WASPs were disbanded in 1944. After the war, Gillies was a ham radio operator who connected phone calls to ships in the Pacific from her home in California. Betty and her husband Bud, had three children. One of her children died at age 4; her remaining son and daughter became commercial pilots, and four of her grandchildren become pilots as well. She was a charter member of the Ninety-Nines. She died in 1998 at the age of 90

Picture No

12697518

Media ID

47705003

Size

3261px x 4350px (1.9MB)

Credit

USAF/Science Source/Mary Evans