DENVER (AP) — Elizabeth Magid, who flew planes for the U.S. military during World War II and whose poem "Celestial Flight" became a fixture at funerals for female pilots, died March 23 of cancer, her son said. She was 86.
She wrote "Celestial Flight" in memory of her best friend and fellow pilot Marie Mitchell Robinson, who was killed in the crash of a B-25.
Elizabeth Magid, also known as "Kit," was among 1,074 women who became pilots in the short-lived program Women Airforce Service Pilots. She was assigned to ferry planes, some that were damaged.
Her son said one of her favorite memories was the time she and a WASP classmate ferried two planes that were going to be used for parts.
"We were flying side-by-side, and nuts and bolts were literally popping off and flying by. All we did was hold our thumbs up and say, 'We're still here!' As long as she was giving me that sign, we knew we were OK," she told her son.