Before
Love was born in 1914 and developed her love for flying at an early age. She earned her license at age 16 and by her freshman year was dubbed "The Flying Freshman." Also during her freshman year she earned her commercial flight license and gained national attention for this achievement. In 1936, Harkness (maiden name) married Robert Love. Together they built a successful aviation company, Inter City Aviation. Also at this time Love entered various air races. Later Love began work as a test pilot working alongside famous pilot Frank Hawks. After WWII broke out in 1940, Love wrote to Lt. Col. Robert Olds proposing that he allow women pilots to work for the war effort. Though she was turned done because of a previous agreement with Jacqueline Cochran. |
During
Love convinced Col. William H. Tunner to use experienced women pilots to supplement the existing pilot force. SHe wrote a proposal that was denied, so Tunner appointed Love to his staff as Executive Women's Pilots. Love quickly recruited 29 experienced female pilots and created the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), of which she was the commander. On August 5, 1943, the WAFS merged with the WFTD and became a single entity: the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Love was elected the executive for all WASP operations. Love was trained in 19 military aircrafts, including the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, North American B-25 Mitchell, and along with Betty Gillies, the first to fly Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. After the WASP program disbanded, Love continued her work working for the Air Transport Command. |
After
At the end of the war, Love and her husband were awarded simultaneously. Love received the Air medal for her leadership of over 300 qualified female pilots. Postwar, Love continued as an aviation industry leader and as a champoin for the veterans who served as WASPs. After the establishment of the Air Force in 1948, Love received the title as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. Love died of cancer at the age of 62 in 1976, unable to see the WASPs being accorded military recognition three years later. Posthumously, Love was inducted into the Airlift/ Tanker association, the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame. And a statue dedicated to Love was erected in New Castle County Airport. |