Honoree – Elizabeth Haas Pfister

Elizabeth Haas Pfister

Honored 1984

Elizabeth “Betty” Haas Pfister was born July 23, 1921, in Great Neck, NY. She learned to fly at Bennington College in Vermont, soloing in 1941.

During the Second World War (WWII) Betty entered the Woman’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program graduating in September 1943.  Much of her flying in the WASP’s was in towing targets and ferrying a variety of military aircraft such as the C-47, B-17 and B-24.

After the war, Betty was involved in various aviation pursuits including flying cattle to Central America. By 1950, she was flying her surplus Bell P-39 fighter in air races, winning the All Women’s International Air Race in 1950 and 1952. Betty gained a helicopter rating in 1953. She also flew gliders and lighter-than-air and helium balloons. Betty founded the Snowmass Balloon Races in 1976 and chaired that event until 1981.

Betty was instrumental in initiating many improvements at the Aspen, Colorado airport. She paved the way for construction of the control tower at Aspen’s Sardy Field which allowed more commercial air traffic. She also supervised the construction of the Aspen Valley Hospital Heliport, the first in Colorado.

Betty served on President Nixon’s Women’s Advisory Committee on Aviation from 1969 to 1972.

She was a member of the U.S. Helicopter Team in the World Championships of 1973 and 1978.  In 1989 and 1992, she was a judge at national and international helicopter competitions.

One of her projects was working on the legislation that made use of Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) required in all aircraft.

Betty received the Katherine Wright Memorial Award in 1992, and Elder Statesman of Aviation Award in 1994, given by the National Aeronautic Association. In 2009, Betty traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in the ceremony where the WASP veterans were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barack Obama.