When Women Earned Their Wings: the USAF's First Crop of Female Pilots

Forty-five years ago, the U.S. Air Force admitted 10 women into undergraduate pilot training, marking its first class of female aviators.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 03:20 PM ET

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In 1975, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. David C. Jones, announced the launch of a test program that would enable women to enter pilot training and staff a now all-volunteer force after the abolishment of the military draft following the Vietnam War. The first 10 women earned their silver wings Sept. 2, 1977. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Kathy LaSauce and nine other women made history as the U.S. Air Force's first class of female pilots (UPT Class 77-08), successfully completing undergraduate pilot training in 1977 after facing decades of limited opportunities.
These pioneering women overcame significant institutional barriers, including initial resistance, lack of appropriate uniforms, and intense scrutiny, while being held to the same rigorous standards as their male counterparts.
The achievements of Class 77-08 opened doors for future generations of women in military aviation, leading to numerous "firsts" in command and flight roles, and contributing to the gradual increase in female pilots in the Air Force.

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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a month-long series to mark Women’s History Month: March 1: Pioneers of Women’s Aviation | March 2: Carole Hopson | March 4: Martha King | March 8: Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance | March 11: The Air Race Classic | March 15: Sisters of the Skies | March 18: Women in Aviation Conference | March 22: Bonny Simi of Joby Aviation | March 29: The First Graduating Class of Air Force Female Pilots | March 31: Top Female Difference Makers in Aviation

When Kathy LaSauce graduated college in the early 1970s, she knew her career options were limited. She could be a school teacher, or perhaps a Pan-Am stewardess, a job that required applicants to be college educated and speak at least two languages.