With a Bird in hand, it's open skies for aviatrix
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With a Bird in hand, it's open skies for aviatrix
Fri "The Australian"
With a Bird in hand, it's open skies for aviatrix
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
August 13, 2004
PIONEERING pilot Nancy Bird Walton's only flying these days is as a passenger, but she vividly recalls the day - more than 70 years ago - when she took her first serious lesson with Charles Kingsford Smith.
Just 17 years old, she had been saving for more than three years to achieve a dream that had filtered into a child's imagination during the England-Australia Air Race of 1919, and been nurtured by the barnstorming days of the 1920s.
"All through the 20s, it was the age of the arrival of aeroplanes," she recalls.
"And there was a magnetic line between myself and any aeroplane in the sky."
The 88-year-old aviation pioneer will today celebrate - somewhat belatedly - her seven-decade love affair with aviation.
It was actually 71 years ago that she strapped herself into a Gypsy Moth, with a sceptical Smithy, and set herself on a course that would make Australian aviation history.
But a miscalculation meant the 70th milestone went unremarked.
She became Kingsford Smith's first student in 1933 in the face of dire predictions there would never be an opening in aviation for women.
She notes that even Kingsford Smith did not quite approve of women flying, before adding with satisfaction: "There are now 60 women pilots in Qantas, 10 of them captains."
Bird Walton made work for herself barnstorming around country fairs to pay off the debts she incurred buying an aircraft.
In 1935, she got a commercial licence and became Australia's first professional woman pilot, operating an aerial ambulance and baby-clinic service for the Far West Children's Health Scheme in NSW. It would be 16 years before another woman landed a paid job in flying.
By that time, the aviatrix had gone on to produce an exhibition and command the Women's Air Training Corp during World War II.
These days, the obstacles facing would-be women pilots are more often financial.
The pioneer's advice to young women wanting to fly these days is to avoid the expense by taking a hard look at flying training through the armed services. "The thing is to do the right subjects at school and try to get a scholarship," she says.
"If you can't get a scholarship, get into the services - they all have aircraft now - with the intention of transferring as soon as you're able. "I met two girls at Nowra (NSW) - one was a mechanic and one was a computer operator - and they're both flying helicopters now."
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With a Bird in hand, it's open skies for aviatrix
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
August 13, 2004
PIONEERING pilot Nancy Bird Walton's only flying these days is as a passenger, but she vividly recalls the day - more than 70 years ago - when she took her first serious lesson with Charles Kingsford Smith.
Just 17 years old, she had been saving for more than three years to achieve a dream that had filtered into a child's imagination during the England-Australia Air Race of 1919, and been nurtured by the barnstorming days of the 1920s.
"All through the 20s, it was the age of the arrival of aeroplanes," she recalls.
"And there was a magnetic line between myself and any aeroplane in the sky."
The 88-year-old aviation pioneer will today celebrate - somewhat belatedly - her seven-decade love affair with aviation.
It was actually 71 years ago that she strapped herself into a Gypsy Moth, with a sceptical Smithy, and set herself on a course that would make Australian aviation history.
But a miscalculation meant the 70th milestone went unremarked.
She became Kingsford Smith's first student in 1933 in the face of dire predictions there would never be an opening in aviation for women.
She notes that even Kingsford Smith did not quite approve of women flying, before adding with satisfaction: "There are now 60 women pilots in Qantas, 10 of them captains."
Bird Walton made work for herself barnstorming around country fairs to pay off the debts she incurred buying an aircraft.
In 1935, she got a commercial licence and became Australia's first professional woman pilot, operating an aerial ambulance and baby-clinic service for the Far West Children's Health Scheme in NSW. It would be 16 years before another woman landed a paid job in flying.
By that time, the aviatrix had gone on to produce an exhibition and command the Women's Air Training Corp during World War II.
These days, the obstacles facing would-be women pilots are more often financial.
The pioneer's advice to young women wanting to fly these days is to avoid the expense by taking a hard look at flying training through the armed services. "The thing is to do the right subjects at school and try to get a scholarship," she says.
"If you can't get a scholarship, get into the services - they all have aircraft now - with the intention of transferring as soon as you're able. "I met two girls at Nowra (NSW) - one was a mechanic and one was a computer operator - and they're both flying helicopters now."
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Aviatrix vs Pilot
By that time, the aviatrix had gone on to produce an exhibition and command the Women's Air Training Corp during World War II.
In this age of political correctness, how many female professional pilots would prefer to have their occupation referred to as "an aviatrix" on any official documents?
I, for one, would be really interested in responses from any of our female pilot colleagues on this subject?
There's no mystery to the deal!
In the days before political correctness and the second world war, pilots guided ships and planes had at least two wings, there were "aviators" and "aviatrix". (Aviat Clubs came later...........
)Woomera
Last edited by Woomera; 15th Aug 2004 at 06:30.
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I've had the pleasure of flying Lady Bird a number of times and she gave me one of the best aviation one liners.
As she was boarding the CSO said, 'Have a nice flight.'
To which she stopped turn around and said, 'That has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the Captain!'
If only all SLF had this view of flying.
As she was boarding the CSO said, 'Have a nice flight.'
To which she stopped turn around and said, 'That has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the Captain!'
If only all SLF had this view of flying.
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At what stage in her career (or life) does a woman aircraft pilot transition from being simply a "pilot" to becoming an "aviatrix"?
"Aviator" comes from the French aviateur - from aviation.
Here endeth the lesson
Airforces have pilots, the Navy has aviators.
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
dog..................bitch
It seems that for quite some time there has been a push by Germaine Greer and others to "desex" the classifications of titles, eg.
waiter & waitress became waitperson;
chairman & chairwoman became chairperson;
poof & lesbian became gay.
So should aviator & aviatrix now also become non-gender specific, and become aviaperson?
"Pilot" appears to be non-gender specific, but historically speaking the word generally implies male sex - so maybe we should add person to "pilot", to have a DEFINITE non specific sex pilotperson.
(BTW, H.H. there is only ONE GOD in QANTAS...and it's a HE!!)
It seems that for quite some time there has been a push by Germaine Greer and others to "desex" the classifications of titles, eg.
waiter & waitress became waitperson;
chairman & chairwoman became chairperson;
poof & lesbian became gay.
So should aviator & aviatrix now also become non-gender specific, and become aviaperson?
"Pilot" appears to be non-gender specific, but historically speaking the word generally implies male sex - so maybe we should add person to "pilot", to have a DEFINITE non specific sex pilotperson.
(BTW, H.H. there is only ONE GOD in QANTAS...and it's a HE!!)
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yeah the Kaptaaaaainnnnnn speaks words of wisdom as always...
long time no hear El Kapitano M.
You echo my sentiments. Who are these foes of freedom???
I'm not a big fan of germaine greer that toothless hag, gloaterer of young boys bodies. she's such a scrag... we all know that.
and can she fly??? I DOUBT IT!!!
wait, chair, gay......who came up with these??? not me..........
get back to reality and the kitchens.... leave the rest to us.
Thank you
PS kaptin you know me but I am a little sluiced right now.... hehe
long time no hear El Kapitano M.
You echo my sentiments. Who are these foes of freedom???
I'm not a big fan of germaine greer that toothless hag, gloaterer of young boys bodies. she's such a scrag... we all know that.
and can she fly??? I DOUBT IT!!!
wait, chair, gay......who came up with these??? not me..........
get back to reality and the kitchens.... leave the rest to us.
Thank you
PS kaptin you know me but I am a little sluiced right now.... hehe
