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| WAFS/WASP Pilot Dorothy Scott |
It was a father-daughter race for an airplane prize. Dorothy
Scott and her father, Guthrie, had challenged each other to a “learn to fly”
contest; the prize—a two seat, cabin-style airplane. For two years, Dorothy’s
attempts to get into a Civilian Pilot Training course at the University of
Washington were frustrated, but in February 1941, she finally succeeded. Her
father bought a plane and challenged her to a race to find out which of them
would be the first to fly solo. The winner would have rights to the plane.
On St. Patrick’s Day, 1941, at 10 o’clock in the morning,
and just four weeks after she began training, 20-year-old Dorothy soloed in a
seaplane over Lake Union in Seattle. As soon as she landed, she sent a telegram
to her father that told him to hold his airplane for her exclusive use. Seven
hours later, at 5 o’clock that afternoon, Dorothy received an excited telephone
call from her father. He had soloed and was claiming victory. Apparently, he
hadn’t yet received Dorothy’s victory telegram.
Dorothy was born a twin to brother, Edward, February 16,
1920. She completed WAFS training with Nancy Love in January 1943.
On her second day of WASP pursuit training, December 3,
1943, Dorothy was flying in an AT-6 with her instructor, 2nd Lieutenant Robert
Snyder. It was a pleasant winter afternoon over the desert sands of Palm
Springs, light winds, and temperatures only reaching into the mid 70s. Dorothy
had already flown many takeoffs and landings, and so, at about 5:00 in the
evening, she was probably on her final approach of the day. A P-39 flown by 1st
Lieutenant Wilson Young followed behind. Both planes were cleared by the tower
for landing, but apparently the controller hadn’t considered that Young’s P-39
was a faster airplane. Coming out of a wide turn on his final approach,
Dorothy (16 Feb 1920
– 3 Dec 1943)
Lt. Snyder (18 Sep
1921 – 3 Dec 1943 )
Lt. Young (21 Feb
1918 – 3 Dec 1943 )
RIP
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| WAFS/WASP Pilot Dorothy Scott |
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| WAFS/WASP Pilot Dorothy Scott |
