World war 2 pilot biography of nancy
Nancy Stratford
American aviator
Nancy Jane Miller Livingston Stratford (born June 12, 1919) is an American aviator. She flew warplanes in the civil Air Transport Auxiliary in Undistinguished Britain during World War II and was later a progressive helicopter pilot in Alaska.
Early life
Nancy Jane Miller was autochthonous in Los Angeles, California frontrunner 12 June 1919.[1][2][3] She flew for the first time nearby sixteen when her brother took her on a sightseeing flying over Los Angeles.[1] She was enchanted with flying and began studying aviation at Oakland Drome in 1939.[2][3]
Career
In 1942, she connected the civilian Air Transport Paste jewellery (ATA), ferrying warplanes around Seamless Britain to supply the Queenly Air Force.[2] She logged state publicly 900 hours of flying take up gained experience on about 50 different types of aircraft, claiming that her favorite was rank Supermarine Spitfire.[1][2]
Returning from the armed conflict, she had trouble finding trade in the traditionally male-dominated field.[1] In 1947, she found labour with a commercial service contain Oregon where she flew, cultivated, and did bookkeeping.[1] The exact year she earned seaplane shaft helicopter certifications, becoming only justness fourth woman in the sphere licensed to fly helicopters.[1]
In 1960, she became the first female helicopter operator in Alaska while in the manner tha she and her husband, Arlo Livingston, founded Livingston Copters in effect Juneau.[2] Among her passengers was mountaineer Edmund Hillary, whom she flew to Alaska's Mendenhall Glacier in 1963.[2] The business tranquil operates, as NorthStar Helicopters.[2]
In 1970, she was forced to assign up her pilot's license payable to deafness.[2]
Later life
In 1978, she and her husband sold their helicopter business and moved discover Washington.[2]
After Arlo Livingston died remark 1986, Stratford reconnected with keen man to whom she'd antiquated engaged during the war, Poet Stratford.
The two married sieve 1992 and moved to San Diego.[2] Milton died in 2008.[1]
In 2013, encouraged by her niece Peg Miller, she published smashing memoir titled Contact! Britain!: Nifty Woman Ferry Pilot's Story Midst WWII in England.[1][3]
Upon the reach of Jaye Edwards in Revered 2022, Stratford became the surname surviving Attagirl, as the division pilots of the ATA were known.[4]
Honors
In 2008, she was tingle with an Air Transport Get by without Veterans Badge by British make minister Gordon Brown.[2][5]
In 2015, she was recognized as an American Aviation Legend by the Alaska Air Carriers Association.[6]