In the 1950s, women pilots were still a rarity. An international organization of women pilots, the Ninety-Nines, Inc., with Amelia Earhart as the first elected president, had formed in 1929. By the time the United States entered World War II, women pilots had earned enough recognition and respect that they formed their own branch of service, Women Airforce Service Pilots, who trained at Avenger Field near Sweetwater.
But even with that history, it was rare to see a woman flying solo in the 1950s. That’s why the stories of a group of Abilene women who dared to buck the trend are significant. The women didn’t see themselves as trailblazers or pioneers. They just wanted to fly—and did.