Isabelle Garrett McCrae, WASP 44-W-3, Nurse & Aviator

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="306.0"] Isabelle Garrett McCrae, WASP 44-W-3. (Photo credit: Virginia Thomas Collection, International Women's Air & Space Museum) [/caption]

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Isabelle Garrett McCrae was born in 1912 in Rocky Ford, Colorado. She grew up on a farm in Nebraska and as a child, was fascinated by flying. It was after she'd flown as a passenger in a plane piloted by a childhood friend that she realized her dream.





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Isabelle flew her own Piper Comanche 260 until the age 87 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She passed away in 1999.

Here is an excerpt of her experiences, in her own words. We thank her son Mike McCrae for sharing this with us...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Isabelle with husband Roderick Scott McCrae, USN enlisted PBY pilot,  and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Bird Garrett. [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Upon “disbandment”of the WASP, Isabelle returned to nursing, but flew many Powder Puff Derbies in a model 35 Beech Bonanza, which now resides in the Beech Museum in Tullahoma and is the oldest flying Bonanza on record. Here she is with her friend Betty McNeill preparing for a competition. Her son Mike recalls sneaking onto the wing to get into the picture! (Photo credit: Mike McCrae) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="375.0"] In 1941, Isabelle belonged to an aero competition group called the “Aeroettes”. (Photo credit: Mike McCrae) [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Newspaper article, San Diego, circa 1952 [/caption]