Before
Gillies began flying in 1928 at the age of 20. At the time she was a student nurse at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. On May 6, 1929, after a total of 23 hours of flying time Gillies obtained license #6525. In November 1929, she joined the Ninety-Nines, an international organization for women pilots. Between 1939 and 1941, she was the president of the 99s. Gillies also led the fight against the Civil Aeronautics Authority over the prohibition of pregnant women to fly. In 1930, Betty was married to Brewster Allison "Bud" Gillies, a vice president of Grumman Aircraft Corporation. |
During
In 1942, Gillies became the first pilot to qualify for the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. At this time, she had amassed 14 years of flying experience, running up a total of 1,400 flying hours to her credit and held various aeronautical ratings. After Nancy Love was transferred Gillies was made squadron leader of the WAFs assigned to the 2nd Ferrying Group, New Castle Army Air Base, Wilmington, Delaware. In 1943, Gillies became the first woman to fly the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. On August 15, 1943, Love and Gillies became the first pilots on Boeing B-17s and made three deliveries together. Gillies remained squadron leader of the Women Airforce Service Pilots assigned to the 2nd Ferrying Group at New Castle Army Air Base until the WASPs were disbanded on December 20, 1944. |
After
After WWII, Gillies was a ham radio operator who connect phone calls to ships in the Pacific from California. She took part in Operation Deep Freeze by keeping connected with them during their two year hitches. Gillies also took part in the Navy MARS program under the call sign NNN0AYT. Staying connected to aviation, Gillies was the Chair of the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) from 1953–1961. In 1964, Gillies was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as the first Federal Aviation Administration Women's Advisory Committee. She died in 1998. |