title: Flying Higher: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
author:  Wanda Langley 
description: Grade 6-10-Although they didn't see combat in World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots belong to an interesting and important chapter in the history of women in the military and in aviation. Led, organized, and inspired by strong, resourceful individuals like Jacqueline Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love, the WASPs trained hard, worked hard, and did it all with style. Flying Higher chronicles the formation of their training program, and follows one class of trainees. It includes lots of detail about the aircraft and the women, especially the challenges that they faced with bravery and humor. This is a riveting and highly readable history in which Langley balances technical information and personal stories, making for a satisfying narrative. The story of the WASPs is subtly placed into the context of America's involvement in World War II, and the role of women at the time. Black-and-white archival photographs and pertinent quotes appear throughout. Amy Nathan's Yankee Doodle Gals (National Geographic, 2001) takes a slightly different point of view and has terrific photographs. Overall, Flying Higher is a good choice for reports and personal-interest reading.<br /><i>Laura Reed, Pickering Public Library, Ontario, Canada</i><br />Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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  Dedication
  
  
  To BC & SG
  
  
  My temptation and salvation
  
  
  Acknowledgments
  
  
  We deeply appreciate our families’ unflagging support. Credit for much of our
  sanity is owed to the Group That Shall Not Be Named. Gratitude to Dana Gautier
  for saving our butts about the motorcycles and for being such a great asset to
  our work. In addition, we offer thanks to Sarah Frantz, Rowan Larke, Zoe
  Archer, Andrea Hodapp, Patti Ann Colt and Kelly Schaub for their friendship,
  and to Kevan Lyon and Sasha Knight for their amazing enthusiasm.
  
  
  Chapter One
  
  
  Captain Leah Girardi loved her time in the flight simulator. Not every pilot
  did. She figured that when Big Daddy Air Force was being stingy with the jet
  fuel, the simulator was as good as it got. Besides, the full mission simulator
  was almost like the real thing. Best video game ever.
  
  
  But as much as she liked it, a few hours spent in there tended to take the
  oomph out of a girl.
  
  
  By the time she walked into the 64th Aggressor Squadro