Genghis the Engineer
6th Dec 2002, 13:11
I've just heard with great sadness that Ann Welch collapsed and died suddenly last night. She had been feeling unwell for a few days, but thankfully had not suffered any prolonged illness.
I'd had the privilege to know Ann for the last 5 years and I think it is fair to say that British light aviation owes her probably more than any other single individual. She was instrumental for much of the foundation of British gliding, international gliding competitions, and did a great deal to foster the safe and relatively unregulated introduction of hang-gliders and microlights in Britain. She had also been an ATA pilot during the war (having originally learned to fly at the age of 17 in 1934), when she delivered, amongst other things more than 110 Spitfires.
She also wrote a large number of books on (amongst other things) flying, safety, and sailing - all of which contain both enormous amounts of wisdom and considerable entertainment. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society she had chaired the Light Aviation Group Committee for many years until 2001, and had been the driving force behind several light aircraft design competitions sponsored by the society, of which she was a Fellow.
She was predeceased by her second husband a few years ago, Lorne Welch, who had been a WW2 fighter pilot, inmate of Colditz, stressman on the famous Colditz glider, and holder of several gliding records.
This is the end of a very happy era, and I shall sorely miss discussing many aviation topics with her. I know that she has recently been preparing a paper on the history of innovation in British light aviation, which I hope will be one of many fitting memorials to one of Britain's greatest aviators.
I will be receiving details of the funeral. If any other friends of hers would like to Email me, I'll forward them when somebody lets me know.
RIP.
http://www.avnet.co.uk/bmaa/couwelch.jpg
I'd had the privilege to know Ann for the last 5 years and I think it is fair to say that British light aviation owes her probably more than any other single individual. She was instrumental for much of the foundation of British gliding, international gliding competitions, and did a great deal to foster the safe and relatively unregulated introduction of hang-gliders and microlights in Britain. She had also been an ATA pilot during the war (having originally learned to fly at the age of 17 in 1934), when she delivered, amongst other things more than 110 Spitfires.
She also wrote a large number of books on (amongst other things) flying, safety, and sailing - all of which contain both enormous amounts of wisdom and considerable entertainment. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society she had chaired the Light Aviation Group Committee for many years until 2001, and had been the driving force behind several light aircraft design competitions sponsored by the society, of which she was a Fellow.
She was predeceased by her second husband a few years ago, Lorne Welch, who had been a WW2 fighter pilot, inmate of Colditz, stressman on the famous Colditz glider, and holder of several gliding records.
This is the end of a very happy era, and I shall sorely miss discussing many aviation topics with her. I know that she has recently been preparing a paper on the history of innovation in British light aviation, which I hope will be one of many fitting memorials to one of Britain's greatest aviators.
I will be receiving details of the funeral. If any other friends of hers would like to Email me, I'll forward them when somebody lets me know.
RIP.
http://www.avnet.co.uk/bmaa/couwelch.jpg