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About Bernice "Bee" Falk Haydu
Based on excerpts from www.Operationfifinella.com
The beginning of 1944, Bee was accepted in the 44-7 WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) training class. Primary training was in PT l7s (Stearman), followed by the next phase in the advanced trainer, the AT 6. Next, they flew BT 13s for instrument training, and finally, flew cross-country and night training mission in the AT6 and Stearman. Her 7-month training also included formation flying and aerobatics. After graduation, Bee was stationed at Pecos Army Airfield in Texas, a UC78 (twin-engine aircraft) advanced training field as an engineering test pilot and utility pilot. After the WASP was disbanded, the field became a B25 school. Bee lamented that, had the program lasted just eleven more days, she would have flown B25s, a twin-engine bomber.
After the WASP, flying jobs were difficult to secure for Bee and her fellow WASP. After obtaining her instructor’s rating, she taught flight lessons and ground school. She was able to obtain odd jobs ferrying surplus aircraft from military bases to the northeast, where they were sold. As aircraft manufacturers began to turn out civilian aircraft, Bee saw the need for pilots to ferry Aeronca and Cessna aircraft from the factory to the northeast. Since Bee lived in New Jersey, she started a ferrying business, which led to her obtaining a Cessna dealership. In one year, she sold 20 new Cessna aircraft.
Next, Bee joined a group of eight other veterans to form a flight school. She instructed and helped run the operations. Eventually they were put out of business by a highway that took away one of their runways. She procured a position with Indamer, a company in New York City that sold aircraft and aircraft parts to India.
In 1951, Bee married Joe Haydu, who had been a Stearman instructor in Camden, South Carolina during the war. At that time, he had a Stagger Wing Beech and several Stearmans. After taking off from flying a few years to raise three children, the couple resumed flying, and continued until about 2 years ago. They owned a variety of airplanes: single and twin Beeches, Stearmans, a Cessna 210 and a l52, and a YAK 52 (Russian aerobatic trainer). Bee raced in two Powder Puff Derbies and one Angel Derby.
In 1972, Colonel Bruce Arnold (the son of General Hap Arnold, who established the WASP) started a campaign to obtain veteran status for the WASP. In 1975, it developed into a full-fledged battle. As president of Order of Fifinella, the WASP organization, Bee found herself with a treasury of about $60, knowing they would need funds and the cooperation of members to locate many lost WASP members. The task became a full-time job.
Bee followed all of Col. Arnold’s instructions and advice, which resulted in the burning of a lot of midnight oil. With so many people to be kept informed, so many newsletter articles to be written, so many members Congress to be contacted, so much publicity to be sought; the job was endless. Between 1976 and 1977, Bee appeared on over 14 television and radio programs (including Good Morning America and To Tell The Truth) and was interviewed for many newspapers nationwide. Finally, with the invaluable help of Col. Arnold, Senator Barry Goldwater, Representatives Lindy Boggs, and Margaret Heckler, as well as her scattered membership, the Congress voted to have the WASP declared as World War II veterans. President Jimmy Carter signed the bill into law on November 23, 1977.
A new organization was formed, Women Military Pilots, to incorporate current women military pilots into their sisterhood. The name was changed to Women Military Aviators, so other pilots could be included. Bee served as WMA President from 1978 to 1980 for the outstanding group, which includes distinguished members such as astronaut Eileen Collins.
Bee’s WASP uniform is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Among her many other honors are induction into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame at Teterboro Airport on May 11, 2000.
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