Velta Benn

Velta Benn (June 12, 1917 – December 1, 2010) was a lifelong pilot who first flew in the Women's Airforce Service Pilots program. Across her career, she logged 55,000 hours of flight time over 63 years. She was the first woman to land a military jet on a Navy aircraft carrier.

Biography

Benn was born on June 12, 1917, in Vienna, Virginia. In response for a call for pilots during World War II, Benn joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in 1944. She trained for seven months at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, graduating on September 8, 1944. Benn flew training missions in both At-6s and BT-13s. Benn was the first woman to land a military jet on a Navy aircraft carrier. She taught safety classes for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, becoming the first woman to do so in 1968.

In 1977, Benn flew a Stearman from Washington, D.C., to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey in support of legislation to grant military veterans benefits to WASP members like herself. She cited the fact that despite taking a military oath at the time, women pilots were still paid less than their male counterparts.

Benn died on December 1, 2010, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Honors and legacy

Benn was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2023. She was awarded the Amelia Earhart Scholarship by the Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots. She was also named Flight Instructor of the Year by the Federal Aviation Administration.