W.154 3rd Officer  Suzanne Palmer Chapman 
 flag wales b. 8 Dec 1918, Swansea  21 Feb 1944 to 30 Sep 1945 

W154 Chapman Suzanne  ATA

suzanne chapman 1945  RAeC 1945

Suzanne Chapman 1952 0187 0023 c.1952

 

 

mother: [Mills]

 


Postings: 15FPP

  ATAM

(r) with Flt-Capt Coltman

 

One accident, not her fault:

- 1 Oct 1944, she ground-looped in Argus I EV809, due to a faulty port wheel casting

 

Gained her Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No 20592) as part of the ATA's 'Wings' scheme on 29 Sep 1945

Address in 1945: Fernbank, Murton, Bishopstown, Swansea, S Wales


In 1949, she was a staff pilot at Hereford airfield.

m. 1951 in Hereford, John H Ashton

 

In 1956, Veronica Volkersz wrote that Suzanne was one of only 7 women flying commercially: -  "Suzanne Ashton flies an Auster 'talking aeroplane' on advertising work"  - and concluded that "The tragedy is that for women, commercial aviation is now - except, possibly, in Russia - a closed field."

[The others were Jackie Moggridge, Monique Rendall, Jean Bird, Zita Irwin, Diana Barnato-Walker and Freydis Leaf]

 

m. 1961 in Swansea, Richard John Hart

d. 5 Feb 2011 - Swansea

 


 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):download grey

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