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    "localId": "12004407",
    "label": "Memorandum, Requirements for Ferry Pilots",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum, Requirements for Ferry Pilots",
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        "Jacqueline Cochran Papers",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 11,
            "logicalDate": "1942-09-11",
            "month": 9,
            "year": 1942
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    "seq": 8,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/eisenhower/580930/580930_002.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "HEADQUARTERS\nVIIIAIR FORCE SERVICE COMMAND\nETOUSA\nOffice of the Commanding General\nAPO 887\nSeptember 11, 1942.\nSUBJECT: Requirements for Ferry Pilots\nBUL\nTO:\nCommanding General, Eighth Air Force\nDATE\n1. From all information there is going to be a shortage of\nferry pilots in the E.T.O. and within the United States itself before\nairplane production reaches its maximum.\n2. Miss Jacqueline Cochrane, who has been in the theater for\nsome time in charge of American women ferry pilots in the British service,\nhas written a comprehensive study of this situation. A copy of this\nstudy is attached. Miss Cochrane has wide experience in civil aeronautics,\nin the ferry of aircraft within the United Kingdom, and is a successful\nbusiness woman. This report indicates a thorough knowledge of the sub-\nject as well as an appreciation of the problems involved. The report\ncovers procurement of competent flying and ground personnel and equipment\nand the training of personnel necessary to the setting up of a ferry\nservice.\n3. The plan is of a general nature and leads to decisions of\npolicy that must be developed in Washington. Due to the urgent need for\na competently trained ferry organization and the anticipated great expan-\nsion of this requirement, a thorough study and development of a plan is\nessential. While there is no immediate need for a large number of ferry\npilots in this theater, future requirements must be recognized. Women\npilots are today ferrying in this theater all types of combat aircraft\nwith the exception of four motored aircraft and, from reports, the use of\nwomen ferry pilots has been on the whole quite successful.\n4. It is recommended that the attached study be forwarded to\nWashington for earnest consideration. Miss Cochrane is now in the United\nStates and is available for conferences on the subject.\n5. My own personal views in the matter are that:\n2. Women pilots may well be used in various flying categories\nsuch as pilots and co-pilots in ferrying operations, operation of shuttle\nair service for transportation of personnel, mail and cargo, special\ncouriers, pilots for tow targets and gliders for training, navigators, radio\noperators, administrative flying officers, etc.\nb. That there is no immediate need for women pilots in this\ntheater.\nc. That there are future requirements for a large number\nof ferry pilots, both within the theater and within the United States.\nd. That qualified women could well be used for this\npurpose, thereby relieving male pilots for more rigid combat and similar\nduty.\ne. That training of women pilots could be carried on in\nthe States in all types of airplanes which they might be called upon to\nferry. Weather and the resulting small number of good flying days,\nthe short periods of daylight during the winter, the many local\nrestrictions on flying, would all operate to restrict the successful\ntraining in this theater.\n6. If reports are true that sources for competent combat\npilots are not producing the required number, it is recommended that\nconsideration be given to training women pilots in the United States\nfor non-combat use, indicated in Paragraph 5 above, in the Army Air\nForces.\n7. That if the above recommendation receives favorable con-\nsideration, it is recommended that Miss Jacqueline Cochrane be given\nconsideration for a key position in this feminine Command.\nLibrary\nTHE\nCOMMUNITY\ns/ W. H. Frank\nW. H. FRANK\nMajor General, U.S.A.\nCommanding\nRequirements for Ferry Pilots\n1\nGeneral\nCG/ATC\n1942\nInclosed is a recommendation from Ma Gen. W.H.\nStrate-\nthru\n9/21\nFrank, subject: Requirements for Ferry Pilots,\nmeyer\nAFRIT\nwith an attachment, subject: Studies and Plans\nfor Establishing of Air Transport and Ferry Service,\nwith a 1st Indorsement in which General Spaatz\nconcurs.\nMiss Jacquelin Cochran is now on duty in the\nOffice of the Director of Individual Training and\nprobably can expand on the inclosed papers.\nThe inclosed is forwarded for your information\nand action in connection with the use of women as\nFerry Pilots.\nIncl: 1st Ind. to CG/AAF, 9/15,\nG.E.S.\nfrm Hdotrs. 8th Air Force\nre incl. Itr to CG/8th AF\nDEPARTMENT Library BUL\nfrm Gen. Frank, 9/11, re.\nabove subj. and attached\nreport on Studies and Plan\nfor establishing of Air\nTransport & Ferrying Service.\nEHH:ren 72669\n2\nAFRIT-2H CG/ATC 9-22\n1. Noted.\nL.S.SMITH\nColonel, Air Corps\nIncl: n/c\nDir. Ind. Trng.\n373.\n1st Ind.\nE-1-1.\nHEADQUARTERS EIGHTH AIR FORCE, ETOUSA, September 15, 1942. TO: Commanding\nGeneral, Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C.\n1. Attention invited to basic letter and attached report.\n2. The undersigned concurs in the ideas experienced in General Frank's\nletter.\nLIBIRTY\nPUL\nI\nCARL SPAATZ,\nMajor General, U.S.A.\nCommanding.\nHEADQUARTERS\nVIII AIR FORCE SERVICE COMMAND\nBTOUSA.\nAPO.887.\nSUBJECT: Plan for Betablishing of the Air Transport and Ferry Service.\nour\nTO\nde\nCommanding Conoral, VIII Air Force, A Pe 0 887, ETOUSA.\nDATE\nREFERENCE:\n\"Quote\" General Orders Number 4 deted 10 June 1942,\n\"1\" Effective 1 July 1948, the Detachment Air Force Forry Command 10\nassigned to the Oth Air Force. The Comminiing Concral, 8th Air Force will be\nresponsible for operations, supply, and administration.\"\nPROBLEM.\n1. It is needed to forry from points within the United Kingdoms\nB. VIII Air Force and other personnel.\nbe Aircraft from place to place.\nOF Inil, pouches, baggage, equipment, supplies, oto.\n2. The acquiring and conversion training of adoguato and compotents\npersonnel for this service. (See Tab B).\nS. It 1s needed to acquire aircraft and all facilities to implement\nthe General Orders Number 4.\n4a It will be necessary to accomplish the objective referred to above\nat a very early date.\n6. Priorities needed in the establishing of the Air Transport and Forry\nService. (See Tab A).\nPRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS.\n1. Thorough studios and investigations of present British forrying\nfacilities of Air Transport Auxiliary has been mdo. As to Its methods of\ntraining, operations, localities and the possibility of a omo joint operation\nin whole or in part. (See Tab B).\n2. Investigations have been made 00 to ways and means of initiating\na forrying service intended to meet all contemplated emergencies (See Tabs B & C).\nPLANS.\n1. Requisition from America nooded equipment for complete Ferrying\nService in the United Eingion within the scope of General Order Number 4a\n(1)\nLIMITED\nOHL\nDwished\n2. If equipment not imediately available from the arrange a\nplan with Air Transport Auxiliary to provide joint use of equipment, Pools,\nand facilities (or possibly complete take over of BODO from Air Transport\nAuxiliary) for & transition period. This to include training of pilots in\nflying as woll as mavigation, (See Tab D).\n3. Offer to civilian American pilots In the United Kingdom a comission\nin the American Air Force in grades comminsurate with age and experience.\n4a Take over solooted mle and famile civilian pilots from Air Transport\nAuxiliary. Said personnel to be employed under existing Army civilian contracts\nin United Kingdom or with Air Transport Auxiliary on a reverse longo lond basis.\n5. Reployment of needed civilians for ground personnel.\nG. Development of plan for recruiting more needed pilote male and\nfomale in the Usede for early use in this theater (other theaters could use\napproved personnel from this organisation).\n7. Appoint a civilian male to head organization of mlo pilots and\nother mlo civilian personnel, as well as 030 female for female pilote and\nother female civilian personnel, BOTH RESPONSIBLE TO ARMY AND UNDER ARMY DIR*\nDOTION AND DISCIPLINE. (See Tab D and Tab E).\nCONCUSIONS.\n1. Careful studies have boon made of the problem as not forth in the\nmany reports attached herewith, (See Tab F). The nood for this Ferrying Sore\nvice and the immediate conversion training of personnel, 0.6 will as the organi-\nsation for use of incilities, that imeliate stops must be taken to activate\nthe plan at one.\n2. Regardless of what the arisings will be for the memb six months,\nthere should be at this time a Recruiting Program in America for the purpose\nof acquiring pilot personnel to be trained for forrying.\nCan many occasions the Royal Air Force (ReAsFe) have had as many as\n1,200 airplanos to be moved in 0. day, and 1t 10 reasomble to assume that vo,\n12 our strength 10 to be comparable, are going to be faced with the camo problem.\nThe problem will beeding sufficiently large to varrant having a separate Ferrying\nOrganizations\nS. During the winter months in the United Einglon, there are many days\nin succession when no flying at all onn be carried out.\nAny plan to uso your combat pilots for this purpose then the weather\npermits would necessitate their release from performing their normal operational\ndution. This problem did develop initially with the Royal Air Force, hence the\ncreation of Air Transport Auxiliary (a wholly civilian organisation), and the\nRoyal Air Force have found that they operate more efficiently by having this\nforrying organisation hanile their equipment.\n(2)\n4. There are thousands of pilots in the UsSais who are unfit for\ncombat duties, but who, with a proper conversion course, would be suited for\nferrying dutios.\n5. Even if the plan 10 activated now, it will take at least three\nmonths before any pilots will be ready to assume the duties of a ferry pilot.\n6. Conversion schools and ferrying services in the U.S.A. can render\na valuable service through absorbing the wastage of pilot material from the\nvarious military training conters plus the pilots who are lot out of the Air\nCorps.\n7. If our future production figures, as published, are me, those\nairplanes will all have to be transported by don or flown to the various\ntheaters, and taking into consideration that the crows will have to be gotten\nback to the point of manufacture, 10 will take more pilots than anyone could\nhope to forecast accurately.\nRECOMMENDATIONS.\n1. That a Recruiting Program and Conversion Schools be started at\nonce in the U.S.A. to absorb all civilian pilots who are qualified.\nDEPARTMENT\n941\n2. That stops be taken to institute the enclosed plan.\nDate\nIncls.6: Tab A.\nTab B.\nTab 0.\nTab Do\nTab B.\nTab F."
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