It was undoubtedly a peaceful morning. Cornelia Fort had woken up early to take her place in the skies over Hawaii. Now, she and her student puttered around the pattern in a little Interstate Cadet. As her student made the turn from base to final, Fort noticed a fast aircraft coming right at them. Instincts took over, and she pulled up sharply. The plane flashed by, too close for comfort. It was then she saw the plumes of black smoke roiling up from Pearl Harbor.Born in 1919, in Nashville, Tennessee, Fort wasn't exactly the definition of a debutante. She was more of a tomboy, and at the age of 5, her love of aviation was born watching a barnstormer in a Curtiss Jenny. Fort's father had made her brothers promise they would never fly. However, he overlooked his daughter and didn't ask her to make the same promise, a fact she didn't forget.In 1940, Fort took her first flying lesson and was instantly hooked. She continued to take lessons with as much frequency as her instructor would allow. By March 1941, Fort had become the first female flight instructor in Nashville. She began applying to any flight school she could find and landed a job in Fort Collins, Colorado. She enjoyed teaching there but also knew that the United States was headed toward war. Fort wanted to contribute, and when offered a position at Andrew Flying Service in Honolulu, where the students were mostly military men stationed there, she jumped at the opportunity.Fort sailed for Honolulu in September. From the time of her arrival in late September to that fateful day in December, she logged 300 hours of flight time. After successfully landing her plane, Fort and her student ran to the cover of the big hangar, managing to avoid being hit by the bullets of the aircraft that were now strafing the tiny field. As she burst into the hangar, she told those inside that the Japanese were attacking. They laughed.
展开▼
