RiseAbove WASP

Guiding Principles

 

Aim High      The women who would become the WASP were women that had already demonstrated their interest in and love of flying by becoming pilots when it wasn’t an accepted path for women. These women would now pursue their interest to a new level: flying military airplanes. It was hard work, the challenges were innumerable, but it was a rare opportunity.

 

Believe in Yourself     Even though the world around them did not believe that “flying was for girls,” they knew that they wanted to try. They believed in their ability. Self confidence allowed them to apply …over 55% of those accepted succeeded by graduating

Use Your Brain         All of the women who would become WASP had flown and become pilots prior to applying to the WASP program.  To become a pilot they not only learned the skill of the actual piloting, but studied navigation and principles of flight, took flying lessons, and practiced. They used their brains to achieve their ability to fly.

Never Quit     The WASP would find that even after being accepted to train – they would still have much to learn. It was more than flying; it was about learning a new culture (military), becoming an instrument pilot, and living in Spartan conditions.  Perseverance was the key to achieving their goal.

Be Ready to Go     When America was attacked at Pearl Harbor, male pilots were needed for combat. To fill the non combat tasks women were now invited to apply to become WASP. However, the program only accepted women who already had flight training – only those women who had begun preparing themselves as pilots would have the opportunity to go one step further and become military pilots.

Expect to Win         Because of the challenges they all shared, the WASP became a tight knit group that supported one another – working together they were able to perform tasks beyond the expectations of so many. They expected to fly the B29, they expected to ferry planes, tow targets, test new and repaired planes, and train male combat pilot. And they did.  Years later when the WASP campaigned for recognition of their contributions, they once again worked together; they expected to win. And they did.