Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of women who have broken the glass ceiling. One inspiring story comes from the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II.
In 1942, the U.S. built thousands of planes in war factories each month, but pilots were in short supply. To support the war, an experimental program was created to train women to fly military aircraft. Over 25,000 women applied. Of those, 1,830 were accepted, but only 1,074 completed the training. These young women flew almost every type of military aircraft, including the B-26 and B-29 bombers as part of the WASP program.
During their service, WASP members flew over 60 million miles, towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun practice, simulated strafing missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members lost their lives, and one went missing. In 1977, they were granted veteran status for their valiant military service.
One of these brave women was local legend Evelyn “Pinky” Pinckert Brier. She became the first female flight instructor in the country when she passed the Civil Air Authority exam in 1938. Pinky and her husband, Joe, purchased and developed the San Bernardino Tri-City Airport and eventually expanded the grounds to 270 acres. When Joe was called to active duty in World War II, Pinky was the first woman to earn an instructor’s license in the WASP program. She also became the only woman contracted by the U.S. Military to teach acrobatics to army flyers.
After the war, Pinky and her husband reopened the airport and charter service. She set the record for the fastest solo cross-country flight in the 1930s and a record for the most takeoffs and landings at the Los Angeles International Airport. She also flew for mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner for many years.
Pinky retired in 1980 with over 70,000 hours logged in the air. In 2004, she established the Brier Foundation, which provides scholarships to women pursuing careers in aviation and other forms of transportation. She maintained an office on Brier Drive in San Bernardino until her passing on Jan. 20, 2008, at the age of 98.
On July 1, 2009, the WASP members were officially awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.
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