Military Aviatrix ~ A SPITFIRE GIRL: One Of The World's Greatest Female ATA Ferry Pilots

<p>In this conversation with author Melody Foreman, Liz and Melody talk about WWII British Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Mary Ellis who she features in her biography A SPITFIRE GIRL: ONE OF THE WORLD&apos;S GREATEST FEMALE ATA FERRY PILOTS TELLS HER STORY, and Melody&apos;s other work, which focuses on Britain in WWII. The ATA Ferry pilots were challenged with climbing into a variety of aircraft with little-to-no type training and made significant contributions to the war. Mary Ellis alone flew 76 different types of aircraft and 400 Spitfires in her five years of service as an ATA pilot, often with no other preparation than a crib-sheet. Melody also highlights the significant contributions these women made for gender equality, earning equal pay to their male counterparts. Despite their incredible achievements, and the positive attitude Mary conveys in this memoir, they still endured age-old challenges. In the movie SPITFIRE: THE PLANE THAT SAVED THE WORLD, a gentleman veteran says, &quot;We knew we could depend upon each other. We knew we were sure of getting support wherever we were.&quot; The women, however, among other humiliations and difficulties, often were forced to manage their deliveries according to the bases where their male counterparts would allow them to land. As Mary put it: &quot;Men take ownership of war and talk endlessly of their duty. I can&apos;t imagine why they don&apos;t think women feel such things, too.&quot; <br/><br/>Liz Booker is a retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot and writer for young adults. She hosts the Aviatrix Book Club and the Aviatrix Book Review Website and Podcast. This episode is a rebroadcast of the Aviatrix Book Review in collaboration with Coming Home Well.  You can find Liz <a href='https://www.instagram.com/literaryaviatrix/'>@LiteraryAviatrix</a> on social media.<br/><br/>Stay up to date and gain early access to new podcasts and upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter at <a href='https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/P9QRg9T'>Coming Home Well Newsletter</