NEWS RELEASE
March 24, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Jennifer Saddler Thomas
Phone:    (740) 452-6462
Fax:        (740) 453-3758
E-mail: jthomas@wiai.org

Pioneer Hall of Fame Ceremony Honors Outstanding Women in Aviation

Reno, Nevada, Friday, March 24, 2001--Four aviation pioneers were  inducted into the International Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 24, at the closing banquet for the 12th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference.  The banquet and conference, held at the Reno Hilton, drew 3,500 aviation professionals and enthusiasts. General Chuck Yeager (USAF ret.), served as the keynote speaker for the banquet and Pioneer Hall of Fame ceremony.  This year’s inductees include Mary Barr, Ann Baumgartner Carl, Elizabeth (Betty) Pfister and Elinor Smith.

Mary Barr learned to fly in a Piper Cub in 1944. She worked nights in a factory to pay for flying lessons. Barr then moved to New York to attend aircraft mechanic’s school and worked on airplanes during World War II.

Barr had a varied career including serving as a FAA Pilot Examiner and Accident Prevention Counselor, and in a variety of positions within the United States Forest Service, including the first woman pilot and smokejumper. In 1964, Barr became one of the first four women to compete in the Reno Air Races. At the age of 75, Barr continues to fly for pleasure. She currently resides in Janesville, California.

Ann Baumgartner Carl learned to fly in 1940 and entered Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) training during World War II. She was assigned to a tow target squadron at Camp Davis, North Carolina, flying Curtiss A-25s. She was transferred to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, where she became the first and only female test pilot. On October 14, 1944, Carl became the first woman to fly a jet aircraft, the Bell YP-59A. After the WASP disbanded in December 1944, Carl returned to flight instruction, and writing for the New York Times and other publications. Carl is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She resides in both Kilmarnock, Virginia, and Abacao, Bahamas.

Elizabeth (Betty) Pfister learned to fly in 1941 and ferried United States Army aircraft for nearly two years during World War II as a WASP. Since the War, Pfister has had a varied career including: serving as a flight instructor, a pilot for several nonscheduled airlines, a stewardess for Pan American Airways, and FAA Accident Prevention Specialist. Pfister served on President Nixon’s Women’s Advisory Committee on Aviation from 1969 to 1972. She was also a member of the United States Helicopter Team, competing in the World Championships in 1973 and 1978. A graduate of Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, Pfister presently lives in Aspen, Colorado.

Elinor Smith was a record-breaking pilot who did everything with a flourish. Smith soloed at age 15 and three months later set an altitude record of 11, 889 feet in a Waco 9. In 1927, she became the youngest licensed pilot on record at the age of 16. At the age of 18, she became the youngest pilot, male or female, granted a Transport License by the United States Department of Commerce. In 1929, Smith and Bobbi Trout set a new women’s refueling record of 42.5 hours.  Smith was selected by licensed American pilots as the "Best Woman Pilot in America", in 1930.  During the Depression, Smith was a stunt pilot for movies, air shows and fund-raisers for the homeless and needy.  Smith now lives in Santa Cruz, California, where she is a consultant to local and national museums.

The Pioneer Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to honor women who have made significant contributions as record setters, pioneers, or innovators in aviation. Thirty-seven individuals and four aviation groups have been inducted since the program’s inception.

Women in Aviation, International (WAI) is a non-profit organization with more than 6,000 members, based in Daytona Beach, Florida. WAI is dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests.  For more information on WAI or the Pioneer Hall of Fame, contact Women in Aviation International at 101 Corsair Drive, Daytona Beach, FL USA 32114; Phone (386) 226-7996; Fax (386) 226-7998; E-mail wai@infinet.com; Web www.wiai.org.

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