Barbara Erickson London

**Barbara Erickson London** (1 ga Yuli, 1920 - 7 ga Yuli, 2013) ta kasance Matan Jirgin Sama na Sojojin Sama (WASP) kuma memba ce a cikin Rundunar Jiragen Ruwa ta Mata (WAFS). Ta kasance matukin jirgin ruwa - tana ɗaukar jiragen sama daban-daban zuwa da kuma daga masana'antu da sansanonin jiragen sama a duk faɗin Amurka. Ta zama mace tilo da ta lashe lambar yabo ta sama a Yaƙin Duniya na Biyu.

## Rayuwa ta farko
An haifi Landan a ranar 1 ga Yuli, 1920, a Seattle, Washington. A shekarar 1940 a Jami'ar Washington da ke Seattle,  ta shiga shirin horar da matukan jirgin sama na farar hula, yayin da take aiki a Boeing a kan jiragen B-17 .  Ba da daɗewa ba ta zama mai koyar da tashi, tana tashi da jiragen ruwa da kuma jiragen ƙasa. Kimanin mace ɗaya ce aka shigar da ita wannan shirin ga kowane mutum goma.  Mahaifiyarta ta goyi bayan shawararta ta tashi. 

## Yaƙin Duniya na Biyu
A farkon Yaƙin Duniya na Biyu, London ta shiga ƙungiyar mata masu taimako waɗanda daga baya aka kira su Matan Jiragen Sama, wani shiri da ke jigilar jiragen sama na soja a faɗin ƙasar. Tana da shekaru 22, London ita ce ƙarama a cikinsu duka.  Ita ce ta 14 da ta shiga.  Aikinta na farko shi ne a ƙarshen Oktoba 1942. An bai wa Landan da wasu mata biyar aikin isar da Piper Cubs daga Delaware zuwa wani masana'antar jiragen sama a Pennsylvania don tabbatar wa Sojoji cewa za su iya tashi da jiragen sama. Landan tare da sauran sun yi nasara a wannan aikin.  Wani aikin da Landan ta yi shi ne tare da sauran mata biyar da matukan jirgi maza goma sha bakwai wajen jigilar jiragen PT-17 da dama. Kowannensu ya hau jirgin sama daga Montana don tashi da jigilar zuwa wani sansanin jiragen sama a Tennessee. A rana ta biyu, Landan da sauran matan sun isa sansanin jiragen sama yayin da yawancin maza ba su isa ba. Wannan ya tabbatar wa Sojoji cewa mata ba wai kawai suna iya tashi da manyan jiragen sama ba ne, har ma suna iya tashi da manyan jiragen sama.  A shekarar 1943, ta zama babban jami'in gudanarwa na Long Beach 6th Ferrying Group a Daugherty Field kuma aka sake wa shirin suna zuwa Matan Jiragen Sama. A cikin kwanaki goma a shekarar 1943, Landan ta yi tafiyar mil 8,000. Saboda waɗannan nasarorin, an ba ta lambar yabo ta Air Medal.  

An mayar da Landan zuwa sansanin sojojin sama na Soja a Long Beach, California, kuma ta zama kwamandan rundunar kuma tana can tare da Cornelia Fort, Evelyn Sharp, Barbara Towne, da Bernice Batten.  Ta yi tafiye-tafiye masu tsawo da yawa daga wannan sansanin ɗaukar jiragen sama da jigilar su. Ta taɓa barin sansaninta a California don jigilar jirgin sama a New Jersey. "Sun aike ni zuwa Buffalo. Na ɗauki jirgin sama a can na kai shi Montana. Sun aike ni daga can zuwa Kansas City, inda na ɗauki wani jirgin sama na kai shi Alabama, wanda ya sanya ni a Gabashin Tekun, don haka suka aike ni zuwa Long Island don wani jirgin da na koma California. Na tafi wata guda—da sauyi ɗaya na tufafi!" Mata matukan jirgi kamar London galibi suna ɗaukar ƙaramin jakar tufafi saboda rashin sarari a cikin jiragen da suke tashi. 

A watan Maris na shekarar 1944,  Landan ta zama mace daya tilo da ta sami lambar yabo ta Air Medal bayan ta yi tafiyar mil 8,000. Waɗannan mil 8,000 sun ƙunshi tafiye-tafiye guda huɗu daban-daban na mil 2,000 da aka yi a cikin kwanaki biyar kacal a lokacin bazara na shekarar 1943. Ta fara kawo jirgin DC-3 daga sansaninta da ke California ta kuma kai shi sansaninta da ke Fort Wayne, Indiana . Sannan ta ɗauki jirgin P-47 Thunderbolt a wannan sansanin ta kai shi California. Sannan ta ɗauki motar P-51 Mustang ta mayar da shi ga Fort Wayne. A ƙarshe, ta ɗauki wani jirgin P-47 Thunderbolt ta mayar da shi sansaninta na sama.

London ta yi tafiyarta ta ƙarshe a ranar 19 ga Disamba, 1944, daga Long Beach zuwa Sacramento, California, tana ɗauke da jirgin sama mai lamba P-61 . Daga nan aka ɗauke ta ta hanyar sufuri na soja aka dawo da ita Long Beach. [1]

## Manazarta