The First Woman to Win the DFC: The Pilot Who Flew Planes Too Dangerous For Men!

Added: 2026-05-23

During World War II, female aviators of the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program, led by Jacqueline Cochran, demonstrated exceptional courage by flying the B-29 Superfortress bomber—a highly dangerous aircraft with a reputation for engine fires and mechanical failures that male pilots feared. These women pilots, including Cecilia Luttrell, proved that if a woman could tame this 'widowmaker' aircraft, male pilots had no valid excuses for refusing to fly it, ultimately helping to establish women's capabilities in aviation and breaking significant gender barriers in military aviation.