Nancy bird walton short biography
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Inducted in
Nancy-Bird Walton AO OBE
Nancy-Bird Walton was an Australian aviation pioneer whose passion for flying saw her become the country’s youngest female commercial pilot and led her to found the Australian Women Pilots’ Association.
The daughter of William and Fanny Bird, Nancy was born in Kew, New South Wales on 16 October Nancy, later to become known as Nancy-Bird, was fascinated by aviation from an early age and as a teenager during the Depression, left school at the age of thirteen to assist her family.
In , at eighteen, she took her first flying lessons with Charles Kingsford-Smith. The latter had just opened a flying school at Mascot and Nancy-Bird was one of his first pupils. While female pilots had preceded her, Nancy-Bird planned on making flying her paid career, most unusual for that period of time.
After gaining her commercial pilot’s licence the next year, the youngest woman to do so in the British Empire, Nancy-Bird was fortuit
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Nancy Bird Walton, Born to flyga eller fly undan ()
Nancy Bird Walton was a ground-breaking Australian female aviator who earned the nickname ‘The Angel of the Outback’ for her flying medical service. Such was her fame and impact that the new Western Sydney International Airport currently under construction has been named in her honour. When the name was announced, Prime Minister Scott Morrison lauded Bird as ‘Australia’s greatest hona aviation pioneer’.
Born on the North Coast of New South Wales in , Bird attended Brighton College in Manly before her education was cut short amidst the beginnings of the Great Depression. Forced to leave school to help her family at age thirteen, she dreamed of flying while working at her father’s general store. Eventually, through thrift and diligence, she saved up £, bought a jacket and flying helmet, and enrolled as one of the first pupils at Charles Kingsford Smith’s new flying school at Mascot.
Bird excelled as a pilot, clocking up solo hours to beco
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- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: IMP
Walton, Nancy Bird
( – )- Born 16 October , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Died 13 January , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Occupation Pilot
Summary
Nancy Bird Walton was Australia&#;s youngest female pilot. She was awarded imperial honours for her work with the Far West Children&#;s Health Scheme.
Details
Nancy Bird Walton was born in Sydney in In , 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 Walton operated a charter service in Queensland followed bygd a two year world tour studying civil aviation. In she founded the Australian Women&#;s Pilots&#; Association. She won the Ladies Trophy in the South Australian Centenary Air Race from Brisbane to Adelaide in and came fifth in the All Wo