Airbus remembers Nancy-Bird WaltonToulouse, 14 January 2009
Airbus is saddened by the passing of Australian aviation pioneer Nancy-Bird Walton, who has died in Sydney aged 93.
Nancy-Bird Walton was the first Australian woman to fly a commercial aircraft and is recognised as one of the world’s most famous and pioneering female pilots.
Qantas named their first A380 delivered in October 2008, Nancy-Bird Walton in recognition of her contribution to aviation...
Nancy Bird Walton was born in Sydney in 1915. In 1933, at the age of 17, she became the youngest Australian woman to gain a pilot's licence. One year later she obtained her commercial licence. In 1937-38 she operated a charter service in Queensland followed by a 2 year world tour studying civil aviation. In 1950 she founded the Australian Women's Pilots' Association. She won the Ladies Trophy South Australian Centenary Air Race from Brisbane to Adelaide in 1936 and came 5th in the All Women's Transcontinental Air Race, America in 1958. She was appointed AO in 1990. Nancy Bird Walton died in Sydney on 13 January 2009 at the age of 93. She was given a State Funeral in St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney on Wednesday 21 January 2009. The new
Qantas Airbus A380 named for her flew over Sydney during the funeral.
I met Nancy twenty years ago, at Mexico city's airport. My blog
*back-country mechanic & aircraft* has the details of the day we met. I did not know then who Nancy was...
I had asked Gibbo sometime ago if he knew an australian pioneer woman pilot, but with wrong bearings: in my mind her name was Iris, and I never told Gibbo about the Brisbane to Adelaide Air Race where Nancy won the Ladies trophy...after two lihtning strikes, my autistic & dislexic mind works more erratical than usual...
She was one of
"the flying Sheilas", those 8 unique Australian female pilots who helped shape Australian aviation history.
Nancy's words to my hart: 'whatever you can do or dream, begin it' made me start a Skydive course...
