Betty Haas Pfister
Elizabeth Haas Pfister | |
---|---|
Born | Elizabeth Haas July 23, 1921 |
Died | November 17, 2011 | (aged 90)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Aviator |
Spouse | Art Pfister |
Children | 3 including Nancy Pfister |
Family | Kalman Haas (grandfather) |
Elizabeth Haas Pfister (July 23, 1921 – November 17, 2011) was an American aviator.
Biography
Haas Pfister was born Elizabeth Haas in Great Neck, New York, the second of three children of Merle (née Simon) and Robert Kalman Haas Sr. (son of California retailer Kalman Haas).[1][2][3] She expressed an interest in aviation from an early age,[2] and she began taking flying lessons while attending Bennington College in Vermont.[3] By the time she graduated (early, with a degree in marine biology),[3] she had enough flight hours to be a candidate to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.[4]
As a member of WASP, starting in 1943, she flew military aircraft within the United States, ferrying them from factory to airfield or airfield to port.[2] Like other WASP members, she also assisted with aerial target practice, towing airborne targets,[2] and flew test flights.[1]
After World War II ended, Haas Pfister purchased (for $750)[2] a decommissioned Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter plane.[5] The plane, with serial number 44-2433, never saw combat during the war.[5] Haas Pfister named it "Galloping Gertie", painted it red and white, and used it in races and exhibitions.[5] The plane was loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1950, with the donation becoming permanent in 1956.[5] In her racing career, Haas Pfister twice won the All Women’s International Air Race, in 1950 and 1952.[2]
In her later career, Haas Pfister undertook a number of aviation endeavors. After the war, she worked for
Haas Pfister advocated for upgrades to the
Awards and honors
Haas Pfister was inducted into the
In 2010, Haas Pfister was in attendance when the members of WASP, as a group, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.[3]
Personal life
Haas Pfister married Arthur Pfister in 1954; he died in 2008.[2] They had three children: Suzanne Pfister, Christina Pfister Smith, and Nancy Pfister.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Love at First Flight: Former WASP Still Living Life at Full Throttle". Airport Journals. March 1, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hevesi, Dennis (December 3, 2011). "Betty Haas Pfister, a Woman With Wings, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Parrish, Nancy (November 17, 2011). "WASP Elizabeth 'Betty' Haas Pfister, 43-W-5 Nov. 17, 2011". Final Flight. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Elisabeth H. Pfister". Colorado Aviation Historical Society. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Bell P-39Q-15-BE Airacobra "Galloping Gertie"". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ISBN 9781941631966.