On October 3, 1939, Beulah Eskildsen (left) and Janet Hatch received instruction from Ben Barry about the instruments in a small mono-plane. Mr. Barry was a commercial pilot at the Mueller-Harkins Airport where the students of the federal government pilot training program, the Civilian Pilot Training Program, received their in-flight instruction. Imitating European countries, America had instituted the Civilian Pilot Training Program (1938-44) to increase the number of civilian pilots and our military preparedness. The program provided new opportunities in aviation for women and Afro-Americans. Women were trained under the program at a ratio of about 1 woman to 10 men, until war preparation demanded that all graduates enlist. At that time, women were excluded from the program because they were not allowed to fly in the military. But by mid 1941, the program had already trained around 2,500 women, many who became Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs.) (T.Times 10-05-1939 p.12; www.nationmuseum.af.mil)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Flight training--Tacoma--1930-1940; Monoplanes; Eskildsen, Beulah; Hatch, Janet; Barry, Ben; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood);