First Female Civilian Air Traffic Controller in the U.S.

By Carl E. Chance

Editor, WingsOverKansas.com

Mary Chance was one the country’s first recognized air traffic controllers. According to Andrew Pitas, former historian with the Air Traffic Controllers Association, Mary Chance VanScyoc was one of the country’s first recognized female civilian air traffic Controller’s in the United States. She played a vital role as one of many pioneer female aviation controller’s during World War II, representing well over 40 percent of the controller workforce.

The Beginning:

She was born in Wichita, Kans. on December 26, 1919 to Lois and Gerald Chance at a time in history when Wichita was fast becoming an aviation “hot-spot” in the nation. It was on April 8, 1920 that a Laird Swallow, the first commercially produced airplane in the United States, made its first flight over Wichita, Kans.  In 1929, the city fathers’ gave Wichita its title as “Air Capital of the World.” That title was well-earned by the fact that Wichita was boasting to the world its impressive aviation growth with 11 airports and 1,640 acres of flying fields. It had close to 100 aircraft-related businesses, including 16 factories, six engine factories, 25 accessory firms, seven service firms, 12 flying schools and two manufacturers of flying togs. The 2,000 men and women employed in the aircraft plants were capable of producing 120 airplanes a week. Wichita’s municipal airport had a square mile of good landing fields. Its brick and steel hanger could hold 30 planes, including any plane being built. The Wichita aviation community had a lot to brag about.

The long and storied aviation history in Kansas had begun in earnest soon after World War I. Included in that history were aviation pioneers like, Cessna, Beech, Swallow, Stearman, Mooney, Swift, Boeing and later, Lear, along with countless others that preceded those iconic aviation entrepreneurs.

One of those early aviation pioneers, Clyde Cessna, gave Mary her first airplane ride in 1935 when she was sixteen years old. From then on, Mary was in love with flying. In her later years Mary had retold this story, as she was one of a few people at that time that could say she had known Clyde Cessna and had flown with him. She saved money from baby-sitting to take flying lessons and soloed the day after her 19th birthday in 1938.

In the Epilogue of her book, A Lifetime of Chances, Mary had said, “As a young girl, long before I ever thought about becoming a pilot, I had a recurring dream. In this dream, I would either be walking or roller-skating on the sidewalk. Then I would flap my arms and fly about six feet off the ground. I remember how much fun this seemed to be, and then I would wake up to find it was only a dream. But my dreams became reality. I was privileged to fly much of my life. I was so fortunate to have had parents who allowed me to pursue my dreams. I was lucky to have married a man who shared my dreams and to have had children who supported all my endeavors.”

Mary was the first female aviation student at Wichita University as a Flying Shocker in the CPT program of 1940. She graduated with a degree in Physical Education and English. Following graduation, she taught school for a year at Ford, Kans., then as “chance” would have it, Mary noticed an ad in the newspaper for Air Traffic Controllers. World War II had started and a large number of men had left to join the various military services. As a result, jobs opened up for women. This was a time that “Rosie the Riveter” was to become a household word for women who worked in the nations defense plants.

However, since Mary was a pilot her interests lie in becoming an air traffic controller. The requirements to apply were a college degree and a pilot’s license, and Mary had both. She was given a job and left for Denver, Colo. on June 1, 1942.

It was at this time that the industry took note of her status as the first woman to enter the field, but soon after many other women followed in Mary’s footsteps. Within a month following Mary’s arrival, Joyce Mead and Madelyn Brown became the next females to arrive at the Airway Traffic Control Center. Another, Marge Haynes soon followed as an ATC, offering some welcome company for Mary and her friends.

It was August of 1941 when Congress appropriated funds for the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to construct and operate towers, and soon the CAA began taking over operations at the first of these towers, with their number growing to 115 by 1944. In the postwar era, ATC at most airports was eventually to become a permanent federal responsibility. In response to wartime needs, the CAA also greatly expanded its en route air traffic control system. Women too, for the first time were being trained as controllers during the war, and, at their peak, represented well over 40 percent of the controller workforce.

A Mile High in Denver:

Mary and her female counterparts started out their first job working on the “B” board in the Denver tower. Wearing headsets, they talked with air bases, flight stations, airline operators, and pilots who had filed flight plans. Mary had to be fast in getting data to the “A” boards where all information was being plotted on strips of paper. There, controllers would have responsibility of maintaining separation of all the aircraft on the airways until the flights were turned over to the towers for landing clearance.

After being there for a short time, Mary started working the “A” boards, at first under supervision for a few months, then began working independently. Mary and her sister ATC friends worked with 12 male controllers in the facility all the while enjoying acceptance and support as ATC professionals in this formerly male-dominated profession.

While in Denver, Mary continued to fly and didn’t waste any time getting her commercial pilot’s license. Six months later, Mary was promoted to the Denver tower as an assistant controller. The action in the tower proved to be much more exciting than in the center, but after six months she had to go back to the center for an additional six months of training. The payoff happened then as she was promoted back into the Denver tower as a full controller.

Look for part two of this story in the August issue of In Flight USA.

To read an article written by Mary and furnished to Wings Over Kansas web site in the year 2000, go to: www.wingsoverkansas.com/bonnie/article.asp?id=68.

For a book review of Prairie Runways: The History of Wichita’s Original Municipal Airport, log on to http://wingsoverkansas.com/books/article.asp?id=201.

Log onto http://www.wingsoverkansas.com for a comprehensive overview of Worldwide Aviation News, History, Education, Photos, Videos, Careers, Aviation Pioneers, Feature Stories and Learn-To-Fly.

Cited References:

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. 5/4/2011.

www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_Role/Air_traffic_control/POL15.htm.

Van Scyoc, Mary Chance. A Lifetime Of Chances. Wichita Press/Parkwood Press 1996. 70-87.

Wichita Eagle, Wichita tooted aviation’s horn. Mon., Feb. 25, 1985.