Born: 1 July 1920, United States
Died: 7 July 2013
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Barbara Erickson
The following is republished from HistoryLink.org, in line with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Barbara Erickson London (1920-2013) was born in Seattle. During her second year at the University of Washington in 1939, she entered the Civilian Pilot Training Program, a federally subsidized program intended to increase the pool of trained pilots in readiness for war. She was able to obtain an instructor rating despite limitations on women in the more advanced courses. In 1940 she competed in national aviation events. In August 1942, while an instructor at Walla Walla, she was accepted into the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. She became the 14th to qualify. Barbara Jane Erickson, or “B.J.” as her squadron mates called her, ferried aircraft from factories to airfields. In one five-day period, she made four 2,000-mile flights. She commanded the 73-member ferrying squadron at Long Beach, California. In 1943 she was the first woman pilot to receive the Air Medal. Following the war, she was turned down for pilot positions as airlines did not accept women as pilots. Despite the discrimination, Erickson continued in aviation by participating in air races and airport administration. She married a pilot and their two daughters continued women’s advances in aviation.