Evening star., 1947-07-31
By Harry Lever

those preIty young glIlS LII SIScIl
uniforms seen around Hybla Valley
(Va.) Airport these days are Wing
Scouts from the District and vicinity,
studying aviation. IL
All Western High School students,
most of them hope to enter the
flying business in some capacity or
pursue aviation as hobby.
The students, whose Troop No. BOT
Is affiliated with the Girl Scouts of
America, are learning the rudiments
Of ground work and actually flying
under free tutelage of Mrs. Pearle
Thurber Robinson, 1919 Military
road NV, the troop leader. She is
a pilot who developed aviation
classes in washington public schools.
Troop 3o7 was organized May 81
and Is the first successful one
among the high schools in this
area" explained Mrs. Robinson.
"Our purposes are to explore jobs
for aviation minded girls, become
socially adequate in this air-age
world and practice and train In
building the girls own programs"
Shoot at Many Jobs.
Many of the girls want to be air.
line stewardesses. navigators, con-
troll tower operators or just pilots.
Betty Adams, 16, of 1904 Tunlaw
road NV, who has four hours in
the air, says she is not the least bit
afraid of flying, but explains:
Il prefer to keep my feet on the
ground. I think I'll try Office or
control tower work In aviation"
Some Of her companions in the
troop have special ideas, such as
Joan Howard, IS, of 1925 G street
NV, who says: IT want to learn
how to fly and have a plane Of my
own. I've been up three or four
times with Mrs. Robinson, and now
I'm getting something practical out
of aviation. I hope to have a license
by the time I'm 16."
Combines Aviation, Bookkeeping.
Smallest Wing Scouter Mary Lou
Silver, 10. of 311 South Garfield
street, Arlington, Va, who has been
up three times, emphasizes that,
while her first love is aviation, she
still is studying bookkeeping. But
the odd combination actually favors
her future, Mary Lou declared, for
through bookkeeping she hopes to
earn enough money to enter avi-
alton.
A typical fight recently saw Mrs.
Robinson and Margaret Hudson, 16,
of 1929 Thirty fifth street NV, an
elected officer of the troop commit
tee. taking off in the brand-new
cream and red three-place Cub
Super Cruiser powered by a 100
horsepower engine, which is used by
the club.
And I handled the controls, :"
Margaret said proudly Pretty soon
I'll get those wings" She wants to
be a stewardess.
One of the leading flyers among
The girls Is Jean Wadlington, 18, of
5610 Lee highway, Arlington, who
received her pilots license a year
ago. Although she has some IS
hours in the air, she said she hasn't
made up her mind about career in
aviation.
"If I ever get the 1000 hours
which are required, I might become
a control tower OPERATOR" she re-
marked optimistically.
Ground Work at Western.
The extensive troop course in
cludes ground work at Western. Mrs.
Robinson teaches there and at
Woodrow Wilson High School. Then
comes actual flying at Hybla. The
high school aviation courses were es-
tablished by a bill introduced in
Congress in 1941 by former Repre-
sentative Jennings Randolph.
Regular features Of the course are
education field trips to the Ana
costa Naval Air Station, the Civil
Aeronautics Administration naviga-
ton aid displays in the Commerce
Building, and to local airports for
engine and fight operation study, -