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BRIEF AVIATION HISTORY

Ann Baumgartner Carl

First touch of aviation was at a lecture by Amelia Earhart at Plainfield N.J. High School. This was at the age of about 10, and Amelia stopped right in front of me to talk. This was a sign!

Later, as an outgrowth of interest in mountain climbing and training horses, learned to fly at Somerset Hills Airport, Basking Ridge, N.J. License in 1941. 

Bought an old 55HP cub--no brakes, no tail wheel, no floorboards--in 1942. Built up time toward commercial until eastern seaboard was closed for private flying as wartime measure. Then commuted to Easton, Pa. to fly---four hours each way by bus for two hours flying time! Member of Civil Air Patrol. 

Joined WASPs in third class taken (Jean Howard's class). 

Towed targets at Camp Davis after graduation. 

Sent to Wright Field to test WASP equipment at high altitude and in cold and hot test chambers. Also designed --and tested-- relief tube for women!

Decided, while there, that Wright Field was place for me. Applied for some sort of job in Flight Test Section. Col Earnest Warburton, flight test chief, agreed to let me prove my worth there by first working as an Operations Officer. If I made the grade there, he'd try me on flight test work. The transfer was arranged, and I was sent to Fighter Flight Test. Col Harnev Estes and Maj Fred Borsodi were section chiefs. 

Flights of interest:

Tests on tail-warning device in which I flew passes behind-- and right up to--fighters flown by the senior pilots to test lights and sound warning system.
 
Tests on homing device which was forerunner of present OMNI system. This involved starting off Xcountry in a P-47 and tuning in on the system, trying to home on the signal truck and buzzing it when I found it.
 
First air-refueling test..using P-38 and B-24 tanker. Done at 25,000 feet over Lake Erie. P-38 had yo come up to hose from B-24 on one engine at slow speed...Flew tanker.

First pressure-cabin fighter plane--P-47. Performance test at 30,000 feet. Plane was so heavy all fuel was used to climb to altitude and run test..

Tested gun sights on P-51, experimental type.  Shooting at target on island in Lake Erie, after first clearing the area of fishermen with short bursts from the machine guns!

Tests on high altitude cameras, oxygen equipment and armament.
  
Aero-med tests in test B-17 at 43,000+ feet on equipment for Col Randy Lovelace of Aero-Med Lab. 

Airplanes flown:

FIRST WOMAN to fly jet aircraft--YP-59A in October 1943-- this was fighter version not trainer, second one built 

[[margin]]42-108-784
in NA Collection[[/margin]]