Nancy Harkness was born on February 14, 1914. She was originally named "Hannah" after her ancestor on her mother's side, Hannah Lincoln, but her father preferred the name "Nancy", and that became her new name. Love's interest in flying started when she was 13, specifically when she saw Charles Lindbergh land the Spirit of St. Louis in Paris, and also a couple years later when a pilot in her hometown offered a small fee for leisure plane rides. This lit her passion to fly.
Love from circa 1942-1945
Love begged her parents to get her a tutor on how to fly, and even though her parents were against it, they eventually gave in. She earned a private flying license at the age of 16 after just a month of training. Love attended Vassar College, and went on to earn the nickname, "The Flying Freshman" after she and her brother flew extremely close to a roof of a nearby school.
When there was war conflict in 1939, Love wanted to support the war, and came up with the idea to fly planes from factories to bases. She proposed this idea to military officials, but General Arnold shut it down. Love was persistent and kept pushing, and General Arnold eventually made the WAFS, the "Women's Auxiliary Ferry Squadron". Love became the first woman pilot to be eligible for the air force.
Love beside her plane.
The WAFS gained a lot of reputation and support, and made significant contributions to WWII, such as flying airships with bombs and weapons to military bases. The WAFS combined with another women pilot organization, called the WASPS, and she was made the Executive in Air Transport Command.
The WASPS and Love still received major critique from men, and they were often looked down upon and ignored by the government. Before Love's last flight, the WASPS were publicly attacked and were terminated in 1944 by congress. She passed away in 1976 due to cancer. Love made significant contributions to the female pilot community, as she paved a new path for women into the army.