Hazel Jane Raines was born in Waynesboro, Georgia in 1916.
Despite having a heart condition and chronic asthma, she chased her dreams of flying. While still in college, she became the first woman in Georgia to receive a pilot's license. She started out as a stunt flier and a pilot trainer.
When the US entered World War II, Raines was one of 25 American women recruited by fellow aviation pioneer Jacqueline Cochran to join the British Air Transport Auxiliary as a ferry pilot. It was a dangerous job, flying through hostile skies without ammunition or radar, in order to remain undetected by the enemy.
She was later called back to the US by Cochran to work with the Women's Airforce Service Pilots. During the Korean War, Raines became the first female reserve pilot called to active duty.
She is considered "Georgia's First Lady in Flight."