WW2 Spitfire pilot Joy Lofthouse dies aged 94
Joy Lofthouse was one of only 164 female pilots, known as the Attagirls, who flew aircraft from factory to airfield Veteran pilot Joy Lofthouse, who flew Spitfires and bombers for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during World War Two, has died at the age of 94.Mrs Lofthouse joined the ATA in 1943 after spotting a notice in a magazine calling for women to learn to fly.
She was one of only 164 female pilots, known as the Attagirls, who flew aircraft from factory to airfield.
The Royal International Air Tattoo said she was an "amazing character with even more amazing stories".
The ATA was formed in 1940 when, despite some male opposition, women were allowed to fly military trainer and communications aircraft.
Mrs Lofthouse, from South Cerney in Gloucestershire, learned to fly before she learned to drive.
Joy Lofthouse was one of the first female pilots to fly a Spitfire during World War Two
Female pilots helped keep the RAF's front-line airfields equipped In an interview last year, she said: "I saw this caption in the Aeroplane magazine that said the ATA had run out of qualified pilots and were training. So I applied and I was in."
Trained at Thame...
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