LADY MARY’S FLYING CAREER

1925

Wed Aug 19 – First flying lessons

Sun Oct 18 - Flew solo

Wed 4 Nov - Qualified for A or private flying licence (Cert. No. 7975)

1926

Sat 3 April - First woman to make parachute jump from a plane

Wed 9 Jun - Qualified for B or commercial licence

Sat 24 July - Yorkshire Pageant, in Sherburn. Crashed in relay; 1st in race for the Yorkshire Evening News Cup.

9-15 Aug - Concours d’avions economique, Orly, Paris. Won three of seven tests; 7th overall.

22 Aug - Bournemouth Meet; 1st light aeroplane club members handicap in G-EBLI, 2nd Private Clubs Handicap, 3rd Private Owners handicap.

Thurs 9 Sept - Lympne Air Meeting. 10th (off scr) in Open Handicap flying SE 5A Viper (‘Pa’)

Sat 2 Oct - Yorkshire Meeting 2nd Open Handicap in ‘Pa’. Giving flying instruction; first pupil passed test 28 Sept

Wed 27 Oct - Gave demo of DH Moth at Air Display in Croydon

1927

18 May - With Lady Bailey breaks altitude record, going to 16,000ft (4,876 m) in an Avian from Southampton

4 June – 1st ladies’ race in Westland Wigeon G-EBPW

5 July - Lady Bailey and Mrs de Havilland altitude record 17,283 ft (5,268 m) in Moth; confirmed FAI in Sept

11 July – DH Moth registered to her.

16 July - Birmingham Air Pageant; 2nd behind Lady Bailey; the two women beat 13 men; 5th in Air League Cup (120 miles/192 km).

Tues 19 July - Flight around Britain making 70 landings, 1,250 miles (2,000 km), average speed 80mph (128 kph); enters the King’s Cup on July 30 as does Lady Bailey.

24 July - Yorkshire Air Pagent, Sherburn

1 Aug - Royal Aero Club’s Meeting at Hucknell (King’s Cup meet); pulled out of King’s Cup. 1st Grosvenor Cup in a DH Moth prototype (60hp Cirrus 1 engine), beating Colonel the Master of Semphill. Also 1st Ladies Purse, beating Lady Bailey.

18 Aug - Middle European tour with Hollindrake. Participated in Flying Club meet in Zurich; sold Avian

24 Sept - Hooton Park, Liverpool. 1st Ladies Cup beating Lady Bailey and Sicile O’Brien; also 1st High Power Handicap in ‘Pa’.

1-2 Oct - York Club’s Pageant. 1st ladies’ consolation race in ‘Pa’; 2nd President’s Light Airplane Handicap in G-EBTP and 3rd Open Handicap in ‘Pa’.

8 Oct – Attempt at Lady Bailey’s altitude record of 17,283 ft (5,268 m) in an Alpha Avian at Woodford, Cheshire; her certified height tied with Lady Bailey’s, so the latter retained the record.

1928

5 Jan - Left Capetown for tour of South Africcan aerodromes

22 Jan – Left Johannesburg for Cairo and then London in Avro Avian G-EBUG.

17 May – Arrived back in Croydon.

10 July - Seaplane record in a Shorts with Sicele O’Brien

20-22 July - 1st, Waalhaven Aviation Festival Netherlands in a DH Moth.

25 July – Geoffrey de Havilland set new altitude record of 21,000 ft (6,400 m) from Stag Lane

4 Oct - Altitude record of 24,700ft (7,528 m) in DH Moth at Croydon; height not ratified

1 Dec - Failed altitude record attempt from Curtiss Field, New York.

1929

Jan - Air Races, Miami.

Jan - Air Show, Grand Central Palace, NY

Feb - First woman to qualify for mechanic’s licence in USA.

29 Aug – Crashes into factory roof with mechanic Irwin Kirk while practising for air race at National Air Races, Cleveland.

1931

20 Mar – Private licence restored

1933

May – Joins Iona National Air Taxis in Dublin as instructor; founds National Junior Aviation Club

1934

Sept – Accepts position of president with newly-formed Irish Gliding Club

1935

Mar 2 – Dublin Air Ferries launched at Kildonan

1938

Aug – Dublin Air Ferries folds