Jessie Ellen Welsh Carter (1910–1994) played a foundational role in the development of aviation along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Born in 1910 in Heiner, Utah, she was the daughter of Simon Martin Welsh, a railroad brakeman, and Jessie Potter Welsh. Jessie grew up in a working-class family, moving as a child from Carbon County to Weber County, where she attended school and helped support her younger siblings. In 1929, at age 18, she married Verenus J. “Vern” Carter in Brigham City.

Together, Jessie and Vern formed a dynamic partnership that would shape early aviation in Utah. Vern was a skilled pilot and instructor, and Jessie was his constant companion in their business and flying ventures. They owned some of the state’s very first airports, including the Utah Central Airport in Salt Lake County, where Vern constructed an on-site apartment for Jessie so she could manage the bookkeeping as well as caring for their fourth baby. 

When World War II broke out, the demand for pilots increased and the federally-funded War Training Flying Service ground flight school opened at the Carters’ airport. Vern and Jessie were responsible for educating dozens of students, preparing them with technical knowledge of flight while also running a full-time business. Jessie’s role in educating and organizing these trainees was essential to the school’s success. She was even deputized as a sheriff along with Vern in order to keep their military contract, which required law enforcement on-site at all times. 

In addition to her work in aviation, Jessie also raised their children, balancing the demands of family life with the responsibilities of a growing enterprise. By the time they had their ninth child, the Carters relocated their operations to the Carter Sky Ranch airport in Draper, and Jessie built their house and hangar while Vern flew. Around this time, she finally accomplished her dream of flying, logging flight hours on trips to the East coast and earning her pilot’s license. After selling the Carter Sky Ranch in 1960, the Carters bought land in Lehi and built another airport that provided training for pilots and mechanics, sightseeing flights, and air taxi services.

As a pilot herself, Jessie became even more involved with the wider aviation community. She served as Utah chair of the Ninety-Nines, an organization for women pilots, in 1963. Though official records from the time often omitted her occupation, Jessie Carter’s influence is evident in the success of the businesses she helped build and the generations of pilots she trained. After Vern’s sudden death in 1966, she kept their Lehi Airport open by renting it out until retiring in 1972. In retirement, Jessie served an LDS mission in Atlanta and spent time with her family. She passed away in 1994 and is buried in Sandy, Utah. 

Jessie’s legacy endures not only in Utah’s aviation history, but also in the growing recognition of the women who helped build it. In honor of their shared contributions, Jessie and Vern Carter were inducted together into the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame.