
More than eleven hundred women pilots flew military aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. These pioneering female aviators were known first as WAFS (Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron) and eventually as WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Thirty-eight of them died while serving their country. Dorothy Scott was one of the thirty-eight. She died in a mid-air crash at the age of twenty-three. Born in 1920, Scott was a member of the first group of women selected to fly as ferry pilots for the Army Air Forces. Her story would have been lost had her twin brother not donated her wartime letters home to the WASP Archives. Dorothy's extraordinary voice, as heard through her lively letters, tells of her initial decision to serve, and then of her training and service, first as a part of the WAFS and then the WASP. The letters offer a window into the mind of a young, patriotic, funny, and ambitious young woman who was determined to use her piloting skills to help the US war effort. The letters also offer archival records of the day-to-day barracks life for the first women to fly military aircraft. The WASP received some long overdue recognition in 2010 when they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal-the highest honor that Congress can bestow on civilians.
Author

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) awarded Sarah's two-volume work, “WASP Pilots,” their 17th Annual Combs-Gates Award. The award is presented for projects that reflect an emphasis on the individual pioneers – the people – who defined America’s aerospace horizons. This is the second time Sarah has won the Combs-Gates Award. The WASP Pilots Series, written for readers age 10 to adult, now consists of three biographies: the World War II stories of three outstanding women pilots Nancy Love: WASP Pilot; ‘BJ’ Erickson: WASP Pilot and the newest, released October 15, 2020, Betty Gillies: WAFS Pilot.. Sarah is a former reporter/columnist for The Detroit News (Michigan) and former editor of the Centerville-Bellbrook Times (Ohio). She earned her B.A. in English from Vanderbilt University and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University McGregor.