The Real Women Behind FLY GIRL

The History of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

They flew without rank, without thanks—and changed history anyway.


Origins

A Nation at War. A Call to Fly.

By 1942, WWII had drained the pool of available male pilots. Aircraft were rolling off assembly lines, but there weren’t enough pilots to move them. The answer came from visionary women like Jackie Cochran and Nancy Love, who urged the military to let women fly.

They Weren’t Just Pilots. They Were Pioneers.

From 1943–1944, more than 1,100 women served as WASPs. They flew over 60 million miles, ferrying planes, testing aircraft, training male pilots, and towing targets for live fire. These women proved that courage had no gender.

Quick Stats

No Uniform Could Protect Them From Being Forgotten.

WASPs were classified as civilian contractors, not military personnel. That meant no benefits. No honors. No flag on the casket. Thirty-eight women died in service. Their families received nothing.

The WASP program was shut down on December 20, 1944, without ceremony. It wasn’t until 1977 that surviving WASPs were recognized as veterans. In 2009, Congress awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal.

They Took Flight So Others Could Follow.

The WASPs paved the runway for women in the Air Force, Navy, and NASA. Today, their story reminds us that bravery isn’t always celebrated—but it always matters.

Why FLY GIRL Was Written

Writer Austin J. Foster was inspired by his grandmother, a former WASP whose story was nearly lost to time. Fly Girl is a theatrical tribute to her life—and to every woman who flew with grit, grace, and no guarantee of recognition.