How very sad. Ann was a wonderful lady and one of the UK’s most talented and significant pilots in both war and peace.
I was lucky enough to be asked to visit her home on a several occasions to talk over projects she was working on. I always came away amazed at the depth and breadth of her knowledge and at the sheer common sense and understanding she brought to flying and the people involved with it. Despite being well into her eighties she remained as sharp as a tack.
One of my most treasured memories was that when we were talking about a BBC film on the career of Hanna Reich, I mentioned the opening shot that showed a young lady doing a primary glider launch in Germany before the war. When I said how frustrating I found it not being able to quite see whether she was wearing shorts or a miniskirt, Ann grinned from ear to ear and said “They were shorts, that was me!”
I am so glad that she went quickly.