Betty Gillies, born in 1908, was the ultimate female pilot, serving as President of the Ninety-Nines, chairwoman of the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) and commander of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), stationed at New Castle Army Air Base during World War II.
During her time as President of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, Betty helped to establish the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund which, according to their website, is “for licensed pilot members to advance in training and education in aviation and aerospace, including scholarships to complete additional pilot certificates and ratings, jet type ratings, college degrees and technical training.” Today, the fund exceeds $5 million.
In 1943, Betty became the first woman ever to fly the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. Since the Thunderbolt had only one seat, this flight happened to be her first solo flight, too. Later that year, she and her copilot, Nancy Love, also became the first females to qualify as pilots for the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, which they planned to take on a ferry mission to England together before the flight was cancelled at the last minute.
In addition to the aforementioned “feathers in her cap,” President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Betty to the first FAA Women’s Advisory Committee in 1964. In 1977, she received the Paul Tissandier Diploma from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, and in 1982 she received the National Aeronautic Association Elder Statesman of Aviation Award.
Betty wasn’t the only member of the Gillies family to fall in love with aviation. She and her husband, a naval aviator and Vice President of Grumman Aircraft, had three children together, two of whom became commercial pilots. Four of their grandchildren became pilots, as well.
After World War II, Betty became a ham radio operator, working from her home in California, connecting phone calls to ships in the Pacific Ocean and maintaining contact with US Navy personnel in the Antarctic. Shortly after, she became Chair of the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race from 1953 to 1961.
Betty Gillies was truly a pioneer in aviation, not just for women, but for all pilots. She passed away in 1998, at age 90, after a long life of flight.
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