Ed. Wesleyan College, Macon "B. S. and Comm." Next of kin: Mrs Bessie P Raines (mother) "First Georgia woman to receive an unlimited commercial pilot's license" Vice-Chairman of the Florida Chapter of the 99s, the asociation of women fliers. [The women's husbands were called 49-and-a-halfers, btw] prev: Flight Instructor (Thompson School of Aviation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida) prev. exp. 1,000 hrs Address in 1942: 212 Riverside Dr, Macon, GA Off sick from 1 to 23 Sep 1942 with influenza, 11 to 28 Dec 1942 with "hospitalization", 2 Mar to 2 Jun after an accident, and on the 11 July 1943 with "bad eyesight" The accident was on 2 Mar 1943, in Spitfire IXc EN205; "Whilst flying in unfavourable weather, the engine lost power. Turning back the aircraft went into a cloud and the engine failed completely. The aircraft commenced a left hand spin [although this is disputed] and the pilot regained control too low to prevent the aircraft from crashing into two cottages [nr. Upavon, Wiltshire]." Luckily, she remained safely in the cockpit until she was rescued, suffering concussion and minor injuries. She later referred to the accident: "I was flying a Spitfire and it quit". Her ATA contract was terminated on medical grounds on the 24 July 1943, and she sailed back to the USA on the 'Queen Elizabeth' on 5 Aug 1943, with fellow ATA ferry pilot Russell Gibson (M.609). Although "thrilled" to be back in Florida in 1943, where she had so many friends, "England's wonderful", she said, "English fortitude under air raids is remarkable." After the ATA, Hazel attended the Army Air Force School for Applied Tactics in Orlando, then the J P Riddle Aviation Instructor's School Coral Gables, Florida, which was operated on behalf of the Brazilian Air Ministry.. In 1950, she was the national President of the 'Order of Fifinella', an association for 1,500 ex-WASPs who were pilots during WWII. By 1952, she was a First Lieutenant, and the WAC/WAF Procurement (i.e. Recruiting) Officer for the Tampa Bay area. She was also the first woman Reserve Pilot recalled to duty for the Korean War. d. 4 Sep 1956, of a heart attack at her flat in Nell Gwynn House, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London. A porter found her dead in bed and called the police. At the time, she was a USAF Staff Advisor, stationed at the US 3rd Air Force Headquarters in South Ruislip, Middlesex..
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ATA
1943
