Home Front: Students of the Air

In 1937, there were fewer than 20,000 licensed pilots in the United States. The Civilian Pilot Training Program increased that number to more than 400,000 in less than five years. With national "airmindedness" as their goal in the run-up to World War II, the US government created the program to train students (10% of whom could be women) on the ground and in the air at colleges and universities across the country. Later on, trainees had to enlist after training, which meant women were barred. Throughout this limited series, almost every pilot we’ll meet either got their flight training with the CPTP, or taught for the program. Many of them would go on to find work in commercial aviation and reshape the field into the Jet Age.

Thanks to our guest in this episode

• Dorothy Cochrane - National Air and Space Museum

Find the transcript of this episode at s.si.edu/homefront1

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Home Front is made possible by the generous support of Lockheed Martin