 Cowart was "the youngest girl in the South to get a commercial flying license," and was an officer in Atlanta's Southeastern Aviatrix Association in 1940.That year, she made news for landing a plane in a cow pasture after it ran out of fuel.During World War II, Cowart first served as an assistant instrument instructor for the U.S. Navy at Camp Gordon, before she became a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP).