Two Women Were Recruited to Fly the B-29 When Male Pilots Were Too Scared to Hit the Skies

In preparation for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , Paul Tibbets was tasked with instructing pilots on flying the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. However, an unexpected obstacle arose: the aviators were nervous about flying the bomber, due to its considerable size and relatively limited testing compared to other World War II-era aircraft.

Confronted with a squadron hesitant to handle the unfamiliar aircraft, Tibbets realized he needed to address their reluctance. He devised a strategy to train two female pilots to conduct flight demonstrations for their male counterparts. This approach not only alleviated the men's anxieties, but also boosted their confidence in operating the bomber.

Problems with the B-29 Superfortress' engines

After completing tours of duty in both the European and Pacific Theaters, Paul Tibbets was assigned to return to the US in 1943 to contribute to the development of the B-29 Superfortress . Once the bomber successfully passed its testing phase, Tibbets assumed the role of director of operations for the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy), tasked with training pilots in the operation of the new aircraft.

Instructing these pilots came with serious challenges. Understandably, they had reservations due to the B-29's history of engine malfunctions and frequent fires, as well as its comparatively limited testing when compared with other aircraft. Additionally, the bomber's notably larger size represented a considerable departure from the aircraft previously operated by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF).

The women who flew the B-29 Superfortress

To address the apprehension surrounding the B-29, Tibbets decided to train female pilots on the bomber to alleviate the concerns of their male counterparts. He enlisted the help of two Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), Dora Dougherty Strother and Dorothea Johnson "Didi" Moorman, deliberately withholding information about previous issues to prevent any worries about the aircraft.

Interestingly, both Strother and Moorman encountered no difficulties during their training.

Chosen specifically because they had no prior experience flying a four-engine aircraft, Strother and Moorman were intended to demonstrate that mastering the B-29 was easily achievable. After just three days of training , Tibbets deemed them ready to conduct demonstrations for the male aviators. They performed various flights from the base in Alamogordo, New Mexico, with different aircrews onboard for each demonstration.

Reception as demonstration pilots

Strother and Moorman successfully persuaded the male pilots to fly the B-29s. In a maintenance bulletin , Maj. Harry Shilling praised their skills and extensive knowledge of the aircraft. He also encouraged other male personnel at the base to seek their advice on handling the bombers and to emulate their excellent takeoffs.

Despite their achievements, Strother and Moorman's roles as demonstration pilots were short-lived. When Tibbets' superiors discovered women were flying the B-29, they forced him to end the program.

Air Staff Maj. General Barney Giles remarked that the women were "putting the big football players to shame."

Remembering their role

While their role as demonstration pilots might appear insignificant, it carried significant weight for the men who observed them. On August 2, 1995, Harry McKeown, a retired lieutenant colonel with the US Air Force , wrote a letter to Strother concerning her piloting of the B-29s. Their paths had crossed in 1944 at Clovis Army Airfield, where McKeown served as Director of Maintenance & Supply and a test pilot.

He recounted that following their demonstration, "we never had a pilot who didn't want to fly the B-29," and ended his letter on a more personal note. "I still want to thank you for your helping me that day at Clovis," he wrote. "I will admit that I was scared... You made the difference in my flying from then on. I wasn't the only pilot that felt this way, and I am sure that they would thank you too if they knew where you were."

Life after World War II

Both women carried on with the WASPs until the organization disbanded in 1944. Strother went on to earn her PhD from New York University and worked for Bell Helicopters from 1962-86. She kept in touch with McKeown and married him in 2002. Moorman raised five children in North Carolina after the war, and kept in close contact with Tibbets until her death in 2005.

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The WASPs, including Strother and Moorman, were denied military veteran status until 1977, when the US House and Senate voted to grant them what they had earned. This decision made them eligible for veterans benefits and also allowed the woman to commemorate their fallen sisters as veterans - something they hadn't previously been able to do.