First woman to fly virtually all AAF high‑performance combat aircraft

Around August 1, 1945, as World War II drew toward its end, Nancy Harkness Love had achieved recognition as the first woman to fly virtually all of the Army Air Forces’ complex, high‑performance combat aircraft, including P‑51 and P‑38 fighters, the B‑17 Flying Fortress, and various multi‑engine attack, bomber, and transport aircraft.[2][9]

Over the course of the war, Nancy systematically pursued qualifications on an extraordinary range of aircraft types. Each checkout required overcoming institutional resistance, as many commanders were uneasy about assigning women to powerful combat planes even for ferry missions. She demonstrated competence not only in single‑engine fighters but also in four‑engine heavy bombers and advanced transports, mastering different handling characteristics, systems, and emergency procedures.[2]

This cumulative achievement was unprecedented among women pilots. While individual women had flown specific types, Nancy’s record of commanding nearly the entire spectrum of AAF combat aircraft marked a broad series of firsts in type ratings. It provided concrete evidence that women could meet the highest technical demands of military aviation and highlighted how gender restrictions, rather than ability, limited their wartime roles.[2][9]

By late 1945, her multi‑type experience contributed to her legacy as a central figure in women’s military aviation. Yet, despite this breadth of accomplishment, she and other WASPs were disbanded without veteran status or long‑term institutional recognition. The approximate date used here reflects the period by which her portfolio of aircraft types had clearly been established; exact dates for each checkout are not documented, but the collective achievement remains pivotal. Nancy’s near‑universal mastery of AAF combat aircraft set a benchmark that would influence debates over women’s access to military flying for decades to come.[2][9]