- 1 7 s ▁to ▁facil itate ▁proc ure ment ▁of ▁ 4 2 ▁more ▁bom bers , ▁and ▁to ▁train ▁new ▁air cre ws ▁without ▁any ▁reduction ▁of ▁standards ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁an ▁estimated ▁expansion ▁rate ▁of ▁ 8 0 0 %. ▁Old s ' ▁next ▁assignment ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁Pl ans ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁on ▁January ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁working ▁for ▁Sp a atz , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁promoted ▁to ▁brig ad ier ▁general . ▁Old s ▁advanced ▁to ▁colon el ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁While ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁Pl ans ▁Division , ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁suggestion ▁from ▁Nancy ▁Love , ▁a ▁woman ▁av i ator ▁( and ▁wife ▁of ▁an ▁Air ▁Corps ▁Reserve ▁friend , ▁ 1 st ▁L t . ▁Robert ▁Love ), ▁that ▁he ▁give ▁serious ▁consideration ▁of ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁women ▁pil ots ▁to ▁fer ry ▁new ▁aircraft ▁from ▁the ▁factory ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁war . ▁Old s ▁replied ▁by ▁asking ▁her ▁to ▁provide ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁women ▁pil ots ▁with ▁commercial ▁pilot ▁ratings . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁and ▁until ▁the ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁Old s , ▁together ▁with ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers ▁Colonel ▁later ▁General ▁Lu cius ▁D . ▁Clay , ▁selected ▁construction ▁sites ▁for ▁ 4 5 7 ▁new ▁air ports , ▁which ▁would ▁form ▁the ▁nucle us ▁of ▁America