Carolyn Grace
Carolyn Grace | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1951/1952 |
| Died | 2 December 2022 near Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Aviator, entrepreneur, aircraft restoration expert |
| Known for | One of only two women qualified to pilot the Supermarine Spitfire since World War II |
Carolyn Grace (circa 1951/1952 – 2 December 2022) was an Australian aviator, entrepreneur, mother of two children, and aircraft restoration expert. Notably, she was one of only two women qualified to pilot the Supermarine Spitfire since the conclusion of World War II.
Early life
Raised on a farm in New South Wales, Grace was accustomed to relying on air travel to navigate the vast distances common in rural Australia. In 1979, her husband Nick discovered two Spitfires available for purchase and acquired them.[1] During the 1980s, they worked together on restoring these aircraft, while Grace herself gained experience flying a biplane.[2][3]
Pilot career
After Nick tragically died in a car accident in 1988, Grace took up flying the Spitfire herself.[2][3] She completed her first solo flight in the Spitfire in 1990 and earned her pilot certification for this aircraft.[4] Although women had piloted Spitfires during World War II as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary, Grace was the first qualified female pilot to participate in display flying, paving the way for others.[1]
Despite facing discouragement from flying solo as a widow raising two children, Grace was determined to honor her late husband’s memory.[1] Over her career, she logged approximately 900 flight hours and appeared at numerous air shows and commemorative events. The restored Spitfire ML407, which she and Nick had brought back to operational condition, became popularly known as the "Grace Spitfire".[2] This aircraft was housed at RAF Bentwaters, Woodbridge, Suffolk,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name with insurance costs funded by event sponsor Aon.[1]
In 2004, she piloted this Spitfire over Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s former home, to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Later, in 2011, she flew the same plane during celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Spitfire’s maiden flight in 1936.[4]
Carolyn Grace passed away following a car accident near Goulburn, New South Wales,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name on 2 December 2022 at age 70.[5][2]
References
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