Wikimedia Commons/Andrew Thomas
Ruth Reinhold and Arizona’s Wartime Aviation Transformation
When Ruth Reinhold first took to the skies in 1933, Sky Harbor was just a cow pasture with big dreams.
She soon joined the ranks of Arizona’s first female pilots, built a career selling planes, and later taught B-24 bomber crews during WWII. Meanwhile, Arizona’s clear skies and dry climate drew the military in droves.
Luke Field popped up west of Phoenix in 1941, churning out 12,000 fighter pilots, while Thunderbird Field trained flyers from 30 nations…