Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Nancy Bird Walton

From Yahoo7 News:
"Australian aviation pioneer Nancy Bird Walton has died at her Sydney home, aged 93.

Named a Living National Treasure by the National Trust of Australia in 1997, Ms Walton died from natural causes about 2pm (AEDT) on Tuesday at Mosman on Sydney's north shore.

Ms Walton was 17 when she learned to fly in 1933, taught by Charles Kingsford Smith.

Two years later she became the first woman in Australia to obtain her commercial pilot's licence.

Ms Walton went on to pioneer an air ambulance service for outback NSW.

In October last year, she attended the inaugural Australian landing of Qantas' first super passenger jet the A380, named the Nancy Bird Walton in her honour.

She was also Commandant of the Women's Air Training Corps from 1940-45, the founder and longtime president of the Australian Women's Pilot Association and Emeritus Patron of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Awarded an OBE in 1966, Ms Walton became a Dame of the Knights of Malta in 1977 and in 1990 was awarded an AO by the Australian government."





1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A legend who will be remembered forever! I just saw she's done a documentary recently, 'flying sheilas', and it looks a good tribute to her. RIP Nancy!