The avenger [1943]

              The Avenger
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VOL. 1 AVENGER   FIELD," SWEETWATER, TEXAS, MAY 11,  1943 NO." 1
GENERALS VISIT AVENGER
Jacqueline Cochran
Established Program
CONVINCED  AIR  HEADS
THAT  WOMEN  CAN FLY
There may be some of you who
do not fully realize just how
much we Women Trainee Pilots
owe to Miss Jacqueline Cochran.
In that case, here is the story of
how the 318th and 319th Army
Air Forces Flying Training Divisions came about.
For years we women have been
told by men that we couldn't fly.
We had been kicked out of the
Civilian Pilot Training programs
because Congress thought we
weren't worth our salt and removed our sex from appropriations. For years Jacqueline Cochran, and .women like her, have
been setting up records to prove
that we can.
We had gone through the Ferry
Command rumors and the disappointment of hearing that we
must have 500 hours and heavy
horsepower ratings to enter Nancy
Harkness Love's unit. And our
35, 80, 100, and 135 hours
dwindled and looked smaller.
At the beginning of the war,
Miss Cochran, foreseeing the
coming desperate need for pilots,
set about trying to convince the
tradition-bound Army Air Forces
heads that they could use women
pilots. She went to the Civil
Aeronautics Authority and persuaded them to make a survey of
the number of certificated women
pilots in the country. That and
other evidences of women's ability to fly, she presented to the
AAF.
The AAF, busy with mobilizing
a giant, winged, male army, failed
to see the feasibility of such an
idea.
Undaunted, Miss Cochran turned to the English Air Transport
Auxiliary, which was using women for ferry work not only in
the lighter training ship field but
in the heavy fighter class. She
got together a group of American
women pilots and persuaded the
English government to accept
them for the ATA.
With the success of the English
ATA," the  United  States   military
(Continued Col. 1, Page Si
#
^
Dorothy Young, the first
from military flying receives
Cochran at Houston, Texas.
lo graduate
ings " from " Miss
DOT PT-19-A
(A German spy renders to the Gestapo a report on the PT-19-A
s observed at Avenger Field.—Ry Mary Hart, W/P 43-W5."
Two flops it has fitch hang behing
On each wing down so fonny,
Und if iss taxied in dot way
Instructor lose some money.
Dot Pt-19-A. ja, ja,
I close it haff obserfed,
Und vot I do, Heil Hitler, see
Hass got me quite unnerfed.
It taxies nefer straight ahead;
Der vays of it are veerable
Becoss der tail wheel dot it has.
Is ver seldom steer able.
Dey roll down wind as though ge1
chased
By der own defil's brodder.
Dey seem to manage to go ofer,
Round, und through each odder.
Dey take off opp into der schy
In efery pose conceivable.
Der  way   der  nose  ge-points
Gott
Is simply onbeleifable.
Der altimeter keeps der height
A secret military,
Tachometer  at any speed
Duss not a hairsbreadth  vary.
In stalls it shimmys and it shakes
Like someone mit der chills.
Und ven recofers from der same
Its pilot near outspills.
In landing all its lofely leaps
Der rabbit can't outdo.
Mein   freunds," it   iss "  an "" eagle
crossed
Opp mit a kangaroo.
Der manner to onspin dot schip Ja wohl, der plague of Herrenvolk
Iss bang der stick ge-howling Diss schip iss efery vay
Und nearly choin der power plant So veil to train der maidchens, j.
Out onderneath her cowling. Dot PT-19-A!
Field Has First All - Women
Military Flying School in World
:>3y Maiy A. Bowles
As the only school in the world
completely devoted to the training of women pilots in advanced
military flying, the 318th A. A. F. F.
T. D. at Avenger Field is under
constant surveillance of the high
officials of the U. S. Army Air
Forces. Recently Major General
Barton K. Yount, head of the Flying Training Command, and
Major General Ralph P. Cousins,
commanding the West Coast
Training Center  visited the field.
General Yount expressed as
being well pleased with the program and its progress.
After this paper goes to press
this field will probably be honored with a visit from General H.
H. Arnold, commander of the
United States Army Air Forces,
and General George C. Marshall,
Chief of Staff of the United States
With Avenger Field and the
318th being such a focal point of
interest it might be well to speak
of the history and traditions of
the field and the growth of the
program.
In June, 1942, this field was inaugurated as a school for training
pilots for the British Empire. In
August of the same year the U. S.
Army Air Corps designated this
field as a primary school for our
own Air Corps cadets. Six classes
of cadets were graduated and
two more groups were approaching completion of their courses
when in February, 1943, the first
class of women pilot trainees arrived. For six weeks we of that
class, known as 43-W-4, shared the
canteen, passing glances and occasionally a few words with boys
who are now at other bases well
on their way to becoming fine
combat pilots. It wasn't much in
the way of personal contact for we
were both working too hard. We
didn't get to know each other
well but we feel they are a part
of our history. We are proud of
them and will always be wishing
them blue skies, fast ships and
many tomorrows.
In April of 1943 it was decided
by the Gulf Coast Training Center
(Continued Col. 1, Page 5)