Maude Bonney!

bydavehayes

3.2K followers

4 years ago

Now you might well be wondering who Maude Bonney is

I shall explain ; ) because today is her birthday

If you are connected to aviation or have a passing interest in aviation, then you might know the name

However if you don't let me put your mind to rest

Maude Bonney, who would have been 122 had she not passed away in 1994, was in fact the first lady to fly solo from Australia to the UK

She was born in Pretoria in South Africa as Maude Rose Rubens, but adopted the name 'lores' in preference to her given names

Bonney was awarded both the AM (Australia Medal) and the MBE

Her family move to Australia from England, where she later mewt her future husband the rather gand sounding Harry Barrington Bonney.

Her lvoe of aviation was first fired(no pun intended) in 1928, when she met her huisbands first cousin, an aviator and it was her first flight in his plane, that convinced her to become a pilot.

She kept her fl;ying lessons secret from her husband at first, but when she told him

He then brought her the de Havilland DH 60 Gypsy Month

It was in this plane she began her record flights

1931 Brisbane to Wangarratta the longest one day flight by a woman

1932 Round Australia, the first woman to circumnavigate the Australian mainland

1933 Brisbane to Croydon UK first woman to fly from Austrlia to England

1937 Brisbane to Cape Town, first flight from Australia to Cape Town

Sadly the outbreak of the econd World War ended her flying career, though she returned briefly in 1949, but had to stop due to failing eyesight

Bonney passed away in 1994 aged 96

Published for historical and because it was her birthday today