The Boeing factory had large windows to allow light in. Good lighting was necessary for such close work. [Courtesy: The Boeing Company]
Key Takeaways:
Long before the "Rosie the Riveter" era, women were integral to aircraft manufacturing in the 1920s, utilizing their sewing skills at companies like Boeing and Douglas.
These women meticulously hand-stitched fabric coverings onto the wooden frames of aircraft wings, a tedious but vital task ensuring flight efficiency and safety.
The demanding nature of the work often led to physical strain, and a notable example includes Charlotte Douglas leading teams who covered the wings for the historic 1924 Douglas World Cruisers.
Most aviation aficionados have seen the black-and-white newsreel footage of women working in aircraft factories during World War II. They became known as “Rosie the Riveter,” or in California, the “Janes Who Made the Planes.” They were the women who took these factory jobs to free up men for fighting.
But this wasn’t the first time women were part of mass aircraft construction.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
