Teresa James WAFS Pilot: Gear Up/Gear Down: A P-47 to Newark Paperback by Sarah Byrn Rickman
Teresa James lived in an era when women had little control over their lives. At 19, Teresa learned to fly when aviation was still a wondrous and dangerous venture.
She had the grit, guts, and tenacity to develop exceptional flying skills. In fact, she became a professional “barnstorming” stunt pilot – when all other stunt pilots were men!
When the United States entered World War II, men and women, inspired by patriotism, volunteered. Now an experienced, capable pilot, Teresa offered to fly military airplanes. Men thought women were too skittish to handle military aircraft. The women proved them wrong.
Teresa and other members of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) stepped into newly created roles and had to figure out how to do their jobs – daring, dangerous jobs flying newly designed aircraft in incredibly challenging conditions.
In this fast-paced, engaging book, author Sarah Byrn Rickman captures the story of an irrepressible woman who flew her way into the history books. This book is a gift to aviation buffs, to World War II historians and, most of all, to young girls and boys who will be inspired to step up, take risks, and tenaciously pursue their own dreams.
