▁drew ▁up ▁and ▁put ▁into ▁action ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁re organ ize ▁and ▁expand ▁the ▁command . ▁Old s ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁and ▁personally ▁handled ▁the ▁successful ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁neutral ▁Brazil ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Natal ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁intermediate ▁point . ▁In ▁its ▁first ▁nine ▁months , ▁the ▁command ▁delivered ▁over ▁ 7 , 1 0 0 ▁air plan es ▁to ▁their ▁pick - up ▁points . ▁ ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁using ▁women ▁pil ots ▁to ▁fer ry ▁aircraft ▁was ▁rev ived ▁by ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁war . ▁After ▁first ▁corresponding ▁with ▁Jac qu eline ▁C och ran ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Old s ▁submitted ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁Arnold ▁propos ing ▁their ▁use ▁in ▁a ▁civil ▁service ▁status ▁while ▁fully ▁integr ating ▁them ▁into ▁the ▁Fer ry ing ▁Command ▁with ▁male ▁civil ian ▁pil ots . ▁The ▁plan , ▁however , ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁requested ▁or ▁end ors ed ▁by ▁Arnold , ▁who ▁sh el ved ▁it ▁at ▁the ▁demand ▁of ▁C och ran , ▁who ▁opposed ▁any ▁plan ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁make ▁female ▁pil ots ▁commission ed ▁officers ▁commanded ▁by ▁women ▁and ▁wanted ▁no ▁official ▁action ▁taken ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain ▁with ▁her ▁own ▁group ▁of ▁pros pective ▁women ▁pil ots . ▁By ▁June , ▁Old s ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁air ▁transport ▁but ▁his ▁former ▁staff ▁became ▁further ▁involved ▁when ▁Nancy ▁Love ▁was ▁introduced ▁to