Orient Woman Earned Her Wings in World War II

Growing up in Westwood, N.J., Orient Point resident Eleanor Faust never imagined herself sitting in the cockpit of a Boeing Stearmans aircraft or a B-17 bomber — but that is just where she found herself soon after World War II broke out.

Faust, 88, is one of 1,002 women — only 200 of whom are still living — who became the first women in history to be trained to fly American military aircraft. They are known as Women Air Force Service Pilots and were charged with ferrying planes from factories to air bases, towing planes to be repaired and test flying aircraft.

"I used to sit at Teterboro airport and watch the airplanes take off, but I didn't think there was too much opportunity for a woman," Faust said.

Rather than pursing what she felt was a false hope, Faust moved to Ohio to study at Ohio University. After a year, the war broke out, and she decided to move back east to be closer to her family. She got a job for a bank in New York City. It was then that she read an article about the women service pilots and decided then and there that she was going to make her dream come try true and fly an airplane.

"I wanted to do something for the war effort, and then this chance came along," Faust said.

There was one problem. To apply to the pilot program, applicants needed 35 hours of flight time — something Faust didn't have. But, that wasn't going to stop her.

Determined and with the blessing of her family, Faust got herself a job at the Piper Aircraft Factory in Lock Haven Pennsylvania. It was during her tenure there that she earned the flight time she needed.

She went to Williamport, Pennsylvania and filed her application. She still needed to pass a physical and a written test.

"It was not the easiest thing in the world," she said. But, when she was finally accepted, she said it was all worth it.  

"It was just tremendous," Faust said.

Acceptance meant even more to Faust after she learned that some 25,000 women applied to the pilot program and only 1,800 were accepted.  

With acceptance papers in hand, Faust went to Texas for seven months of training. The women, who were classed as civil service employees, earned $150 a month, but were required to pay for their own food, clothing and bunking.  

"We were left with about thirty dollars," Faust said.

Despite the pay, Faust said she and the other women pushed through a rigorous training process.  About 600 women, she said, got "washed-out" during that period. 

"It was a hard seven months, but so rewarding," Faust said.

Faust says the most difficult part of the training was ground school, where the women learned Morse code and navigation.

Then, of course, she said, she had to learn to fly Air Force aircraft.  

"Like learning anything, there were a lot of failures, but a lot of high points," she said. "It was just a thrill."

With the hard work behind her, Faust earned her wings.  It was a moment she said she will never forget — especially since she learned that Congress voted to disband the female pilot program.

As a member of the last class of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, she had served active duty for just 10 days before the program was shutdown.

"It was just a bad experience," Faust said. "Suddenly, they didn't want us anymore."

Faust said she tried to land a job with an airline, but at the time, she said, airlines only hired women as stewardesses.

"I decided to try something else," she said.

She soon found employment with the Allen B Studios in New York City and was trained under a new program for women to become camera operators.

"I was very fortunate to get that job," Faust said.

Faust said she soon married and had four children. She lived in various places across the country from Chicago to Hollywood before settling in Orient in 1999.

Faust says she still keeps in touch with the other woman she served with. A bittersweet reunion came for Faust last March when after 65 years, the woman were honored with the Congressional Gold Metal. 

"It was our big moment," said Faust.