She had joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots, better known as the WASPs, in 1943. These women ferried military aircraft, tested newly built planes, and completed dangerous assignments that freed male pilots for overseas duty. The work was demanding, and 38 WASPs lost their lives during the program. Yet they served without military status or the benefits given to other service members.
Just weeks after joining Boeing as a test pilot in Wichita, Micky boarded Sweet Sixteen, the sixteenth B-29 ever built. During the flight, the chief engineer offered her something no woman had done before.