Set in 1943, Fly Girl follows Evelyn “Evie” Taylor, a Kansas farm girl who defies expectations to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots. As war rages overseas, Evie and her fellow trainees face a different kind of battle—against doubt, loss, and a system that refuses to salute them. Inspired by real history, Fly Girl is a story of flight, sacrifice, and the women who dared to take the sky.
Austin started writing this show after growing up hearing about his Grandmother's service in the W.A.S.P.s. She is the W.A.S.P. on the left.
This show has a deep personal connection for Austin.
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were a pioneering group of civilian women who flew military aircraft during World War II. Tasked with ferrying planes from factories to bases across the country, they freed up male pilots for combat roles overseas. The program was founded by trailblazing aviator Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran, who proposed the idea in a letter to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Despite their critical service, the WASPs were classified as federal civil service employees and denied military status and benefits. The program was disbanded on December 20, 1944. It wasn’t until November 23, 1977—over three decades later—that the women of the WASP were officially recognized as U.S. military veterans.