Lorraine Boehler

LORRAINE CARLSON BOEHLER, born in 1930, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Oscar Carlson, grew up on their family farm adjoining the government emergency airport, located 4 1/2 miles north of Washburn North Dakota. The current site of the Washburn Airport.

Lorraine’s love of aviation began in 1942, when the United States Army began to use the grass airstrip (maintained by her father), adjacent to the Carlson farm, for pilot training missions. As a 12 year old girl, Lorraine, along with her younger brother, refueled the military taildragger airplanes between training flight missions. 

Her father, noticed her growing interest in aviation and offered her a bribe. If she would forfeit a family vacation to Washington state and  stay on the farm all summer of 1947 to help with chores. He would in turn pay for her to learn to fly. Lorraine jumped at the opportunity and soon was enlisted for flying lessons! 

She took her first solo flight while in high school at 17 years old. Geneva Schow-Oleson (owner-editor of the Dakota Flyer and ND Aviation Hall of Fame inductee 2013) flew her own airplane over  to the Carlson farm to interview and photograph Lorraine in celebration of her solo flight. The interview appeared in the Dakota Flyer October 1947 edition (see publication). Geneva wrote “Lorraine has, in her front  yard, one of the United States best CAA airports, and auxiliary fields. She needs only to taxi her plane from the hangers located on their farm out onto the airport where no one could find a smoother strip.”

Lorraine obtained her Private License August 18, 1949, at Washburn ND under the guidance of Washburn airport manager and flight instructor, Cliff Beeks. 

She became a member of the National Flying Farmers Association, the North Dakota Flying Farmers Auxiliary, participant in the Civil Air Patrol and Chairman of the North Dakota chapter of the women’s pilot group The Ninety-Nines. 

As a member of the Ninety-Nines, Lorraine along with fellow female pilot members traveled to multiple airports across North Dakota and provided a service of refreshing the paint on air strips and buildings while following the strict FAA guidelines and regulations regarding the paint applications. 

Some of her more recent contributions to ND aviation are attending meetings in 2023/2024  with Kimberly Christianson-Reuer & Clara Sherman-Yonker, providing valuable verbal and physical historical donations to the North Dakota Women and Wings Gallery located in the Capital Aviation Building at Buckstop Junction. 

Lorraine raised six children. Volunteered for March of Dimes, United blood Services, Disability Determination, Church Treasurer and sewing for charities. 

When asked about her love of flying she said, “You never lose that. It’s in your blood once you get started.” - Lorraine Boehler