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Continued
In 1938 Florence and John both had Private Pilot Certificates, Florence continued flying and earned her Flight Instructor Certificate in 1941, in She became the first female in Nevada to hold a Commercial Certificate in 1944.
In 1938 the only public airfield was McCarran Field now the site of Nellis AFB. When the army took over the field in the beginning of 1941 public use was eliminated. So Florence, John and Bud Barrett bought 200 acres off Tonopah Highway. She drove a Cat and helped scrape out three runways, trees and shrubs were planted, toilets installed and a hanger brought in and the dream of Sky Harbor Airport was born. The plan was to start a flight school and charter operation.
December 7, 2011 is now fast approaching. Not only is this date remembered as the day Pearl Harbor was bombed which started WWII for the United States but is also the day the airport at Sky Harbor was dedicated. It has the distinction of being opened and closed on the same day because all airplanes were grounded. This was the first sign this little airport, now North Las Vegas Airport was in for some amazing challenges for the next 70 years.
When John and Bud volunteered as civilian flight instructors at Wickenberg, Az She stayed and ran a very successful airport. At the end of the war in 1945 she became part of a partnership that started Bonanza Air based at Sky Haven Airport. In the beginning she was responsible maintenance, supplies, aircraft scheduling, proper licenses and everything else as needed. Eventually because of her superb administration skills she became the first woman Vice-President of an airline. Along with being Secretary of the company and Director of handling all labor relations. Even with all her achievements, she remained at pilot at heart and was a charter member of the Las Vegas Valley 99s, an international organization of women pilots.
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