Grey Allison Hoyt
Dunlap

King William, VA

 

October 18, 1913 - September 19, 2003

 

 

hoyt

Grey Allison Hoyt was born October 18, 1913 in Roxboro, Pennsylvania. As early as the 1920's, she knew she wanted to fly. All it took was a stroll down a little lane by the airport at College Park, Maryland. As she describes it, "...a plane flew overhad, that was love."

When she heard about the WASP, she applied and was accepted as one of the oldest members of class 44-4. She entered training in November of 1943, the coldest winter West Texas had experienced in a long, long time. After completing her training, she received her Silver WASP Wings and was stationed at Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas.

Goodfellow was a basic training field, with plenty of BT-13's (Vultee Vibrators) and AT-6's. However, Grey was assigned to administration, and was able to fly "interesting and varried" missions--as she put it.

The most important thing that happened at Goodfellow was that her flying allowed her to complete her instructor's rating, and from that, she was able, as she put it, "to encourage an ex-cadet to try 'again' (pilot training was phased down while he was in preflight). But I thought he would make a good pilot. I was right. Our marriage has been fine."

Grey married Ren Dunlap who spent 20 years between active duty and reserves in the United States Airforce and 20 years flying for American Air Lines.

As Grey writes in Betty Turner's "Out of the Blue and Into History, "For quite a while we kept a Cessna 180 year at the farm, but finally admitted it was a bit extravagant to use a metal airplane to commute to the seashore. Corrision! Ren still has his medical so we get frantic once in a while and go to the local airport. Otherwise, we are very content here on the farm."

Her last years, she found it difficult to walk, but Ren built her a 'little exercise pool in the Sun Room." Grey spent time swimming and 'jogging' every day.

She was able to attend the WASP Convention in Washington, DC and spent the evening reminiscing with her classmates from 44-W-4. They all seemed to sparkle as they laughed and shared stories until well into the night.

Grey passed away on September 19, 2004.

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