Women's Flying Training Detachment facts for kids

The Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) was a special group of women pilots during World War II. Their main job was to help the war effort by taking over flying tasks usually done by men. This allowed male pilots to go and fight overseas. The WFTD helped by flying planes from factories to military bases. Later, this group joined with another called the Women Airforce Ferrying Squadron. Together, they formed the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

Starting Up the WFTD

While visiting England, a famous pilot named Jacqueline Cochran saw something interesting. English women pilots had formed a group to help their country during the war. They did jobs like moving planes, freeing up male pilots for combat.

Jacqueline Cochran thought this was a great idea for the United States. She talked to General Henry H. Arnold about starting a similar group. He agreed on September 15, 1942, and that's how the Women's Flying Training Detachment began!

Around the same time, other women pilots, like Nancy Harkness Love, were also creating similar groups. Their goal was the same: have women pilots take on flying duties so men could focus on fighting.

Pilot Training

The first training for the WFTD happened in Houston, Texas. It lasted 23 weeks and included 115 hours of flying. This was a lot of time in the air!

Soon after, the training moved to Sweetwater, Texas. The program became even longer, lasting 30 weeks. Pilots now had to fly for 210 hours.

To join, women first needed to be between 21 and 35 years old. They also had to have at least 200 hours of flying experience. Later, the rules changed, allowing women as young as 18 to join. They only needed 35 hours of flying experience. The training mostly focused on flying long distances across the country. It did not include gunnery practice.

Not Quite Soldiers

Even though these women flew dangerous missions for their country, they were not officially part of the military. This meant they didn't get all the same rights as male soldiers.

For example, if a woman pilot died while on duty, her family had to pay to bring her body home. They also couldn't hang a special golden star in their window. This star usually showed that a family member had died serving the country. Also, women pilots who died during training did not have an American Flag draped over their coffin. This was a sad and unfair situation for these brave women.