Grace Helen Scanlon: A Woman in Aviation

By: McLaughlin, Edward John

Grace Helen Scanlon: A Woman in Aviation tells the true story of a small-town New York farm girl who rose to become one of the few women test pilots at Grumman Aircraft during World War II. From engineering drafting at Auburn Locomotive, to flight operations at Grumman, to earning her pilot's license, Grace's path was extraordinary for her time.

Through newspaper accounts, recovered letters, family memories, and archival research, this book reconstructs the short but remarkable life of a woman who tested Hellcats and Avengers before they were delivered to the U.S. Navy. Her story ended tragically in 1944, when she was struck by a propeller at Bethpage, but her name lived on-on the last Avenger off the line, chalked with her message: "Mission Completed."

This biography is part aviation history, part family genealogy, and part cultural memory of small-town America during the war years. Perfect for readers interested in:

Women in aviation and the WASP era

WWII home-front and industrial history

Stories of pioneering women in engineering and flight

Irish-American family and community history

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C52CTK12
• ISBN13: 9798355040925
• Release Date: May 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"