Lettice Curtis

Lettice Curtis (1915 to 2014) was an English aviator, flight test engineer and air racing pilot. She learned to fly in 1937 and in July 1940 became one of the first women pilots to join the Air Transport Auxiliary, the civilian organisation that ferried military aircraft between factories, maintenance units and airfields. She progressed from training aircraft to every category of wartime aircraft, was among the first dozen women to qualify on four-engined heavy bombers, and was the first woman pilot to deliver an Avro Lancaster, also flying 222 Halifaxes and 109 Stirlings. After the war she worked as a flight test observer at Boscombe Down and then as a senior flight development engineer at Fairey Aviation, raced aircraft including a Spitfire, helped found the British Women Pilots' Association, and later worked on air traffic control planning and for the Civil Aviation Authority.