Britain’s first female fast jet pilot to fly in vintage biplane at Cranfield Airport to mark Girls in Aviation Day
Britain’s first female fast jet pilot Dr Jo Salter is set to fly in a vintage biplane at Cranfield Airport to mark Girls in Aviation Day.
Dr Salter is set to experience the cockpit of a 1930s De Havilland Dragon Rapide on Saturday September 19 in a bid to inspire more women to choose a flying career.
The Rapide is a vintage British biplane used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy during the Second World War, and is the model flown by bush pilot Betty Greene, the first woman to launch humanitarian air service Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in 1946.
Betty piloted a Rapide for MAF in Sudan, and returned the aircraft to London in 1956, a journey which spanned 4,000 miles and lasted seven days with no GPS or digital avionics.
Following the flight, Dr Salter, a former RAF Tornado pilot, and the first British woman to become Flight Lieutenant of the 617 Squadron, will open the MAF’s Aviation Academy at Cranfield Airport.
The academy will launch a new training initiative to address the growing shortage of aviation personnel, by offering charity-funded training to British pilots and engineers with no previous aviation experience.
Looking forward to the day Dr Salter said: “The Rapide aircraft and Betty’s story remind us just how far aviation has come and how much has been accomplished by people with vision, determination and courage.
“Betty’s achievements show that we are capable of far more than we realise. In a world full of challenges, we need to draw on our creativity, resilience and pioneering spirit to spread love and hope to a broken world.
“Aviation needs young people with skill, courage and purpose. The recruitment shortage won't be solved by just talking about the problem.
“It needs training, early career development and a stronger vision of what an aviation career can mean.
“I’m delighted to support the launch of MAF’s Aviation Academy, and I hope it encourages more young people to consider aviation as a career with purpose.”
Girls in Aviation Day has been held annually since 2015 and is organised by Women in Aviation International, with the aim of introducing girls aged eight to 18 to aviation and aerospace careers.