Learning Center Our Enshrinees

Velta Benn

• Born in Virginia in 1917, Benn first learned to fly in 1942.
• She joined the WASPs in 1944 and trained in Texas before being assigned to Merced Army Airfield in California. Benn would spend her time ferrying pilots and planes around the country.
• After her time in the WASPs, Benn worked as a military flight instructor near Washington, D.C., training America’s next generation of aviators.
• Benn became a partner for Aviation Film Services and scripted military training films, flying various aircraft. During her service,
• Benn became the first woman to land on an aircraft carrier.
• Velta is highly regarded for her safety in the air and on the ground. She was the first woman to teach AOPA safety clinics in 1968.
• Benn never lost her flying spirit; over a lifetime of flying, she accumulated 55,000 hours aloft.