Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Preferred Citation
Scope and Contents
Related Materials
Biographical / Historical
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Barbara Kibbee Jayne Personal Photo Collection
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.20031
Physical Description:
0.1 Cubic Feet
One Photo Envelope
Date (inclusive): 1941-1990
Abstract: Barbara Kibbee Jayne was a female test pilot for Grumman in World War Two.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
Preferred Citation
[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum
Library & Archives”]
Scope and Contents
One photo envelope containing 18 photos numbered 09_01777 to 1794
Related Materials
Women of Flight Collection.
Biographical / Historical
Barbara Kibbee Jayne began flying in 1937. As a child her need to fly had been so ardent that she tried it without benefit
of an aircraft. She and her brother, Troy, would jump off the roof of the garage. Her parents would not allow any of the children
fly until they were 21, so she waited. She earned her license at a California flying school and then set out for work in the
air.
Jayne joined the Ninety-Nines in 1938 and remained with the organization until her death. She graduated from the Ryan School
of Aviation in San Diego in Feb. 1938, earned a commercial rating and flew for Ryan Company as a check pilot. The following
year, she signed with the Civilian Private Training Program for Renselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, she became
the first woman instructor for the U.S. program and taught at the Glens Falls Airport.
In 1941 Jayne was coaxed by Grumman executive Allison “Bud” Gillies to be chief instructor at the exclusive Aviation Country
Club of Long Island. Taking the chief instructor position, she flew with A. de Seversky, Amelia Earhart Putnam, Chance Vought,
and Walter Beech, as well as Cornelius Vanderbuilt Whitney and other society people. During the war, Jayne joined the Civil
Air Patrol and spotted quite a few enemy submarines off the coast. She also became a courier pilot at Grumman, carrying parts
and workers in transport and passenger planes.
The following year she flew for Grumman Aircraft in Bethpage, New York. In July 1943, she checked out in Grumman aircraft’s
F6F Hellcat, the fighter considered the backbone of the Naval Air War in the Pacific, becoming a full-fledged factory production
test pilot. She remained a test pilot until the end of World War II. She was so small that she had to use cushions to help
her reach the controls on the Navy Hellcats. Once at the controls she flew five to six times daily doing snap rolls, slow
rolls, dives and racing the F6F at speeds of 400 mph.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Women Airforce Service Pilots
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Ninety-Nines (Organization)
Grumman F6F Hellcat
Women air pilots
Women in aeronautics
Jayne, Barbara Kibbee